WWE News: Jinder Mahal could defend his title against Top NXT star
Jinder Mahal to challenge former tag team partner?
What’s the story?
Current WWE Champion Jinder Mahal successfully defended his title in the Punjabi Prison match at WWE Battleground against Randy Orton, the first match of its kind in ten years. The Maharaja is already looking towards the possibility of future opponents. The one man he has his eye on is the former 3MB member and current top NXT star... Drew McIntyre.
In case you didn’t know…
Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre had teamed up together as part of the comedy act 3MB between 2012 and 2014 before both were released in the summer of that year. Drew McIntyre would go on to have a stellar run in the indies, becoming a top name on the circuit and eventually making his way back to WWE this year under the NXT brand where he is set to challenge Bobby Roode at NXT Brooklyn this summer.
Jinder found his way back to the WWE last year and his return was followed by a meteoric rise leading to him becoming the WWE Champion. Jinder also mentioned a few times that he wants to take on John Cena if he can defeat Randy Orton at Battleground.
The heart of the matter
Jinder recently spoke to USA Today's 'For The Win' section about the possibility of facing off against his former running buddy Drew McIntyre.
'He took it quite personally when he was released by WWE. He set out on a mission to prove he is the best in the world and I truly believe he is one of the best performers in the world. He is just an animal. He for sure will be NXT champion and I know for sure he is a future champion, whether it’s the Universal championship or my championship. …'
Jinder also teased a possible 3MB reunion, but with both stars now being elevated to more serious positions within the company than in their previous run, a program between the two for the top title looks likely in the future.
What’s next?
Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre both are set to be featured in marquee matches albeit on different shows during Summerslam weekend. Jinder defeated Randy Orton at Battleground and now h he can truly begin to look towards the future and Drew McIntyre will be heavily focused on capturing the NXT title from Bobby Roode.
We don't yet know how long Drew McIntyre is set to spend in NXT before a possible move back to the main roster, so perhaps it's a bit premature at this stage to suggest a match between them for the WWE Championship, as the title could change hands on any given night.
Author’s take
It has been really great to see both Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre turn their careers around in such a positive way after their 2014 release. This is proof for the rest of the roster that with a lot of hard work you can really make it to the top in this business.
A program between the two on the main roster with both of them in the prime of their career would be a fitting way to bring their stories full circle, whether that be for the WWE Championship or not. It will be interesting to see with the momentum both of them have, just how far they can go in WWE. Good luck to them both!