Jinder Mahal’s WWE trajectory has changed significantly over the last six months.
Rewind to almost exactly one year to Backlash 2017. On that night, Mahal defeated Randy Orton to become the WWE champion. That reign would go on to last an unexpected 170 days, even retaining the belt at the company’s second biggest show of the year (SummerSlam). Mahal would eventually drop the title to AJ Styles during a November edition of SmackDown Live.
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In recent months, Mahal found himself wrestling for the U.S. title on SmackDown before being moved to RAW during the WWE shake-up last month. Always one to set lofty goals for himself, the former SmackDown brand champion isn’t satisfied with where he’s at. In fact, the Mahal wants to wrestle the man who has held the top title on RAW for over 400 days: Brock Lesnar.
Speaking to Planeta Wrestling recently, Mahal spoke about several names he would like to share the ring with on RAW, notably the Universal Champion.
“Unfortunately, I lost the WWE Championship to AJ Styles, but I held the WWE Championship for six months,” Mahal said. “Many people expected me never to hold the WWE Championship, or any Championship in the WWE; so I proved a lot of people wrong.”
He continued, “But now that I moved to RAW, my goal is obviously the Universal Championship. But there’s also many other great competitors – someone like Roman Reigns who I have my eye on right now. He claims that RAW is his yard, I think differently. I think I am the most dominant Superstar in the WWE. And right before I lost the match to AJ Styles for the WWE Championship I was going to face Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. So now that I am on RAW I think that match is very possible for the Universal Championship. Other than that, Seth Rollins – Intercontinental Champion. I am excited to be on RAW and look forward to holding more championships.”
It’s interesting that Mahal brought up the fact that he and Lesnar were scheduled to do battle in a bout pitting the world champions of both brands against each other last fall at Survivor Series.
Many believe that the reason the title was abruptly switched to Styles a couple of weeks prior to that match on SmackDown was to give the Survivor Series card a boost. Mahal vs. Lesnar wasn’t polling well with the WWE audience, while Styles vs. Lesnar was a dream match that everyone wanted to see.
Whatever the case was then, Mahal now has a fresh start on RAW to prove that his run as a main eventer last year wasn’t just a fluke. While a title match with Lesnar in the coming months doesn’t seem realistic, you can’t blame a guy for trying to get his name out there.
