After last night's (Tues. Jan 6, 2017) episode of SmackDown Live went off-air, WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton continued their rivalry for the gold.
Mahal appeared on television for a match against Mojo Rawley, which he won after Rawley got distracted by the Singh Brothers, allowing "The Maharaja" to capitalize and hit his finisher for the win. Orton, however, didn't make an appearance in front of the live crowd on WWE TV, instead cutting a promo on Mahal from backstage, but did come out for a match with Mahal after the cameras stopped rolling.
Orton was in control of the action early on, but Mahal was able to switch the tables and land a big boot to put "The Viper" down, but it was only good for a two count. Then Orton hit an RKO on the WWE Champ and went for the cover, but The Singh Brothers jumped in and began to beat Orton down while Mahal ran out of the ring, thus ending the match due to a disqualification.
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Orton and Mahal initially met at the Backlash pay-per-view (PPV) last month where Orton, who won the WWE Title back at WrestleMania 33 against Bray Wyatt, was defeated by "The Maharaja" in the main event.
Mahal and the WWE shocked the fans in attendance as he hoisted up the company's top prize in Chicago, sparking the beginning of a push that will most likely last for a few months as the WWE attempts to push into the Indian market hard.
The Singh Brothers have played a vital role in Mahal's title reign, as they provided the key distraction to Orton which allowed Mahal to capitalize and hit Orton with his finisher from behind. Now Mahal will attempt to make his first WWE Title defense when he rematches Orton at the Money In The Bank PPV later this month from St Louis, Missouri.
It's not expected that Mahal will drop the title at the event, as Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Dave Meltzer reports that "The Maharaja's" title reign is not expected to be short-lived. Mahal could possible drop the title in August at the WWE's SummerSlam PPV, or on the drop of a dime when Mr. Money In The Banks decides to cash-in.
What are your thoughts on The Singh Brothers jumping in for Mahal after SmackDown Live went off-air? Have YOUR say in the comments section below and the third episode of GiveMeSport’s WWE podcast is here!
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