5 things to expect from WWE's India tour
This December, WWE will return for two live shows in India. After a fourteen year absence, the company made its return to India in January 2016 for two very successful live shows. This 2017 return has been hotly anticipated by international fans, as WWE has become more interest in the Indian market, and is sure to appeal to them with a special pair of events.
Yes, Jinder Mahal is the reigning WWE Champion—and we’ll discuss him much more as this article goes on--but there’s also Kavita Devi. After a successful debut performance in the Mae Young Classic opposite veteran Dakota Ka, WWE made headlines by going on to make Devi the first woman from India they have signed to a long-term deal.
So what can fans in India expect from WWE’s return, and a two-night stand at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi? There are sure to be surprised, but there are few key elements that we can start to speculate and make educated guesses about two months out.
#5 Jinder Mahal vs. Kevin Owens
Recently, it was speculated that Jinder Mahal’s scheduled opponent and challenger for the WWE Championship for the India tour is Kevin Owens. This might seem like an odd fit to US fans, given both men play heel characters, not to mention that they haven’t been involved in any storylines together.
For the India tour, however, WWE is understandably expecting for Mahal to get a babyface reaction, and that’s a reaction they’d like to cultivate to further build their business in that market. So, it makes sense to cast Mahal as the face in the short term, and it’s hard to imagine a better heel for him to bounce off than Owens—a natural villain who has thrived in that role for a variety of promotions. On top of that, Owens is skilled enough to ensure some good to great main event matches at these important shows.