WWE News: Jinder Mahal, the "Next Big Thing?"

As I have previously stated, WWE finds itself at a point where the depth of its roster is under severe scrutiny. The youth movement is pushing new stars like Alberto Del Rio and Cody Rhodes, and young athletes are putting their names in the lottery—the winner becomes the "next big thing."

One up-and-comer that I believe will rise to prominence is the recently debuted Jinder Mahal. It has been said countless times before that WWE is a business, and like any other big company money is its primary concern. Some might not realise this, but Mahal has serious moneymaking potential.

Outside of America, India is one of WWE’s biggest markets. The existing deal WWE has with its Indian cable provider is WWE’s second-largest television deal. This coupled with the vast scope of potential fans within the country's huge populace is an opportunity WWE will not pass up. The new head office opened in Mumbai very recently speaks volumes in regards to the company's intent to spread its product and the potential profit to be made.

This is where Jinder Mahal finds his way into the equation.

Jinder is Canadian-born and of Indian descent. Having seen him in FCW, it is clear he has in-ring potential whilst there is room for improvement, and he has the size and look that Vince McMahon loves. His recent debut on SmackDown demonstrated his ability to cut a good promo, and for someone this young (24) he just screams potential. Most importantly, he can speak both Punjabi and English.

The Great Khali is incomprehensible on the mic and not exactly a marvel in the ring, but the star power he holds in India is astronomical. Jinder Mahal could reach the audience in ways Khali never could. He can cut promos in two languages, appealing to both the WWE mainstream audience and viewers in India; this coupled with his size and in-ring ability could lift him to megastardom.

Mahal could bridge the gap between the two continents and build a fanbase in India that greatly surpasses The Great Khali’s and reel in the cash for the company. To spread the product to India, WWE needs a main event star that the audience can relate to and cheer for. Jinder Mahal is that star.

In a time where WWE needs to both grow and build new talent, pushing Jinder Mahal to the main event scene could kill two birds with one stone. His partnership with the resurgent monster heel Great Khali opens many possibilities for his character to develop. I foresee Jinder and Khali working together for time enough to cement Mahal as a credible mid-card heel and then feuding against each other with Jinder coming out on top to enter the main event scene.  

WWE knows what it has with Jinder; time will tell whether Jinder picks up the ball and runs with it or goes the way of Muhammad Hassan.