Pros and Cons of Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal at WWE Survivor Series 2017

This time last year, no sane fan would have predicted Brock Lesnar vs. Jinder Mahal would headline WWE Survivor Series.

But here we are, with the Nov. 19 pay-per-view fast approaching and the most unexpected of WWE champions will face the monstrous Universal titleholder. 

The cross-brand matchup is now official: Raw and SmackDown's top dogs will collide. The red brand's general manager Kurt Angle made the announcement on Monday's show.

Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman later accepted Mahal's challenge on behalf of his client.

It's easy to find a fan who isn't impressed with this showdown. Mahal has a been a disappointing headliner and a clash with The Beast Incarnate has little appeal.

There are some positives with this pairing, though. Read on as we look at the plusses and minuses of Lesnar vs. Mahal at Survivor Series.

---

🔥 Top Videos from Around B/R 🔥

---

Pro: Now for Something Completely Different

In a time when we've seen matchups repeat to excess, Mahal stepping up to Lesnar is something new at least.

The Club has faced Enzo Amore in a total of 19 matches over the past two years, per CageMatch.net. The Miz and Dean Ambrose have faced off in some fashion 15 times in 2017. Lesnar vs. Mahal, however, is as fresh a collision as one can get.

WWE is breaking away from the pattern of repeat PPV opponents for The Maharaja with this move, too.

It's not often champion opposes champion. It's rare that the top Raw titleholder faces his SmackDown equivalent. So this will feel big and is sure to be a spectacle.

And perhaps it will bomb, but it won't be a showdown WWE has beaten into the ground.

Con: Waste of a Lesnar Match

Lesnar is rarely around. He only faces a handful of opponents each year, and WWE has chosen to make the underwhelming Mahal one of them.

The company could have gone with a Lesnar vs. Samoa Joe rematch. It could have given Braun Strowman a second crack at The Beast Incarnate. Or else, it could have let Kevin Owens tangle with him on a bigger stage than their first meeting.

All those bouts would be far superior to what's actually set for Survivor Series.

Mahal hasn't proved he can deliver a top-notch match. The highlight of his bouts with Randy Orton has been The Viper flinging The Singh Brothers around. The WWE champ himself has been a boring marquee Superstar.

And as David LeGreca of Busted Open radio pointed out, this won't have high stakes:

Brand pride will be on the line—not the gold. Those fans hoping for the reigns of either Lesnar or Mahal to end won't get their wish come Nov. 19.

Pro: A Career Opportunity for Mahal

The WWE champion's biggest match to date lies ahead.

He will be looked at as an underdog with no shot. He will be dismissed as someone who doesn't belong in the ring with The Beast Incarnate. He'll be the subject of jokes and memes leading up to the action.

But he can change his career in a huge way here.

If Mahal can go toe-to-toe with Lesnar, if he puts on a stellar performance, critics' eyes will be opened. WWE is calling on the champ to step into a big spot. Coming through will elevate him like few other bouts could.

That wouldn't be true if Mahal had been booked in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match or to go up against Shinsuke Nakamura one more time.

Con: The Maharaja Not a Believable Threat

Mahal spent too long as a jobber and a comedy relief guy to feel like a beast on Lesnar's level. WWE did a stellar job of selling Joe and Strowman's chances against the champ recently. It will struggle to do that with The Maharaja.

He's played the cowardly heel who barely escapes with a win. He's depended on The Singh Brothers to save him time and time again. 

And the audience's memories of Mahal falling to midcarders is fresh. FanSided WWE drove home that point with a mention of where the SmackDown king was not long ago:

Mahal's rise was rushed. He feels like a paper champion. The process of building him is still ongoing, while Lesnar has long been established as a top-tier monster.

There's a reason Heyman laughed at the prospect of Lesnar facing the former 3MB member. 

WWE will have its work cut out in changing the perception of Mahal and it only has a few weeks to do so.

The Maharaja will walk into Survivor Series on the wrong end of one of the most uneven big matches in WWE history.