Why Jinder Mahal is the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship, and no, that’s not a typo.

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP 

In a six-pack challenge that also featured Sami Zayn, Luke Harper and Dolph Ziggler, WWE went the surprise route with Mahal winning in a moment that has many fans wondering how a superstar can job to Finn Balor one week and then be first in line for the WWE title just eight days later.

At least on the surface, Mahal’s victory is indeed a head-scratcher. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover why it actually makes sense.

Although Mahal is from Canada, he’s billed from Punjab, India. WWE is simply doing with Mahal what it’s done with a number of other superstars in the past: Pushing him in hopes to create a star that appeals to a particular market. In this case, WWE is looking to tap into the rabid fan base of India, which is the world’s second most populous country at more than 1.2 billion.

For the same reasons that WWE has pushed Wade Barrett, Rey Mysterio, Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura and so many others, the company is getting behind Mahal in hopes to create the next big superstar who could have worldwide appeal but also targets a particular market. In the past, WWE pushed The Great Khali to the top of the card in the hopes that he’d be the John Cena of India, and to an extent, it worked.

Khali, though never known for his in-ring abilities, has been called “India’s most popular WWE star” and has certainly put more eyes on the WWE product in India. But his below wrestling skills, advanced age and limited English prevented him from truly becoming the long-term, bona fide superstar WWE was hoping he would be.

But Khali, despite being mediocre in the ring, does paint an accurate picture of WWE’s popularity in India, telling The Times of India in 2015:

People in India are crazy about WWE, and now, WWE is getting attracted towards India owing to the sheer number of viewers in the country. I think pro-wrestling is the second most-watched game in India after cricket.

That’s where Mahal comes in.

Mahal is still just 30 years old, is a much better wrestler than Khali ever was and has recently gotten in the best shape of his life in route to receiving the biggest push of his career. While that’s caused many fans to speculate that Vince McMahon is only pushing Mahal because of his impressive physique, there’s much more to it than that.

There is a serious lack of top heels on SmackDown (who else is there besides Kevin Owens and Baron Corbin?), and Mahal not only gives the blue brand a potential top villain but also someone who can be marketed in India as a main event level superstar and “hometown hero” of sorts. The WWE Network launched in India in 2015, and in 2016, then-WWE star Alberto Del Rio called it ”one of the most important markets for the WWE,” saying that “we want to make the already existing fan base grow further.”

Way back in 2013, then-WWE India GM Rukn Kizilbash specifically mentioned Mahal when asked about the company’s expansion to India:

Our focus on India begins by investing in talent from India, be it The Great Khali or the upcoming Jinder Mahal.

Mahal, of course, is someone who can help expand WWE’s fan base, which is eager to consume WWE content but would be even more inclined to do so with an Indian talent booked and billed as a main eventer. WWE is holding tryouts in Dubai later this month and also did so in 2014, when a number of talents from India and the Middle East attempted to land a job with McMahon’s pro wrestling empire.

But does WWE already have its next big Indian star?

Mahal is the new No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship, and at his age, could have another decade or more left in the ring. He’s slated for a World title feud with Randy Orton, is rapidly rising up the card and is starting to generate impressive amounts of heat as a despised villain.

Although he may not be everyone’s cup of tea and although the diehard pro wrestling fan would be much rather see Zayn or Harper in his spot, looking beyond Mahal’s in-ring abilities or his long history of jobbing to top stars tells you that WWE is making the right move here.

Mahal deserves a chance to main event because WWE may strike gold if it all works out.



Blake Oestriecher is an elementary school teacher by day and a sports writer by night. He’s a contributor to the Forbes @SportsMoneyBlog, where he focuses on the WWE, NBA and NFL. You can follow him on Twitter @BOestriecher.

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