SK Exclusive: Historic gimmick match returning after 10 years for Battleground Main Event
Our sources report that WWE is planning a Punjabi Prison Match between current WWE World Champion Jinder Mahal and former champion Randy Orton at WWE Battleground. This will be the third time that WWE will be arranging such a match, the last one having taken place between the creator of the match format, The Great Khali, and Batista at No Mercy in 2007.
You can check out footage from that match below:
The first time this match format was unveiled was at the Great American Bash in 2006 where The Undertaker took on The Big Show. The name comes from Punjab, a state in India from where the first ever Indian Superstar to have held the World Heavyweight Champion in WWE history, The Great Khali, is billed from. It is suggested that the format was inspired by prisons in Punjab.
The match format consists of two bamboo cages, the first being a 16 feet (4.8 m) tall inner cage with an outer cage of 20 feet (6 m) height surrounding the first. The inner cage has four sides while the outer one consists of eight. Many legendary Superstars including The Undertaker and Sgt. Slaughter have called this one of the most dangerous match formats in pro-wrestling history.
Battleground will take place at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday, 23 July, 2017 where this match is rumoured to take place. With Jinder Mahal being the second Superstar of Indian origin to have held the WWE World title, it seems fitting that he gets to participate in such a historic match. Also, Jinder has professed that he is of Punjabi origin and speaks fluent Punjabi so it is very apt that he gets to defend the World Title on a stage so huge.
The way to win this match is for one of the competitors to escape both cages and set foot outside. It seems that Jinder might retain his title against Randy Orton which will mark the first time a Superstar of Punjabi origin will actually win the Punjabi Prison Match as the Great Khali lost to Batista when we last saw such a match being held.