Since Jinder Mahal won the title from Randy Orton, his title run has been surrounded by lots of controversies. Forbes recently picked up on this as well and has published an article discussing the many problems surrounding his title run. So, let’s take a closer look at the controversy still surrounding the current WWE Champion.
Massive Mahal Push Puzzles Many Wrestling Fans
When Jinder Mahal won the title from Randy Orton, it was a big surprise for many wrestling fans. It was not just a surprise for casuals, but also for marks who had been following the battle for the title for weeks.
A while ago, I mentioned some of the reasons why the WWE chose Jinder Mahal to become the next WWE Champion. One of the reasons was also mentioned in the Forbes article, more specifically the fact that the WWE wanted to tap into the Indian market.
The problem with the Jinder Mahal push is that Jinder has one of the worst win-loss records within the WWE; this means that his win against Randy Orton came “outta nowhere”. Naturally, the push of Jinder Mahal to conquer the Indian market has upset the WWE’s European and American fan base.
Big Social Media Following
Dave Meltzer has stated that the Jinder Mahal push is the WWE “play for India”. He also stated that the WWE has more social media followers in India than anywhere else in the world, which would explain why the WWE is so focused on pleasing this part of the wrestling market.
To ensure their play for India runs smoothly, the WWE has also increased its marketing activities within India. They recently opened a WWE office in India and have appointed a general manager and vice president to run this office.
Alleged Steroid Abuse
While most WWE fans can understand the “play for India” by the WWE, they have more problems with the alleged steroid abuse rumors surrounding the current champion. There has been no solid proof pointing to illegal substance abuse by Mahal, but many major wrestling experts have spoken out that they believe Mahal is “taking something”; this includes experienced wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer and ex-WWE wrestler Ryback.
The substance abuse allegations began when fans noticed a dramatic change in Jinder Mahal’s physique over a short period of time. Many believe that such a change is not possible without the use of illegal substances, so the push of Jinder Mahal has certainly not lacked controversy in that department.
Conclusion
I believe the WWE could do a better job by releasing some of the substance abuse tests Jinder had to take over the past couple of months; this is a standard for any WWE superstar. If those are negative – as the WWE and Jinder claim – then the substance abuse allegations can be laid to rest and the WWE can make their “play for India” without so much controversy.
What do you think of Jinder’s title run? What do you believe the WWE should do to tackle some of the problems the company is facing with Jinder as champion?
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