Best Feuds, Predictions for Jinder Mahal, Rhyno, Shelton Benjamin's WWE Returns

WWE suddenly has increased puzzle pieces to move around as it welcomed back Jinder Mahal, Rhyno and Shelton Benjamin.

Those puzzle pieces, though, couldn't vary in value more. Mahal will add roster depth and little else. Benjamin, meanwhile, will be an injection of excitement for SmackDown.

After WWE divided its roster in two with the recent draft, it has moved on to adding talent from the past.

Mahal showed up at his old tag team partner Heath Slater's side on Monday's Raw. But a 3MB reunion was not to be. Seconds after Raw general manager Mick Foley booked a match between them with a contract on the line, Mahal clocked Slater and scored the win.

Raw now has Mahal to plug into its lineup each Monday.

SmackDown is dipping into the alumni reserves, too. Rhyno charged onto the blue brand last Tuesday. His first order of business? Smashing into Slater with his trademark Gore.

WWE announced that Benjamin and Rhyno would both join the SmackDown roster.

Benjamin promises to be a title contender who delivers big-time matches. Expectations for Mahal need to be much lower. As for Rhyno, he stands somewhere in the middle.

Rhyno

The powerhouse will be a valuable piece to the SmackDown puzzle as a measuring stick for emerging stars.

The 40-year-old former ECW champ was never well-rounded enough to be a top guy. Rhyno is no versatile, multipurpose tool; he's a wrecking ball. 

In his recent stint at NXT, he used his smashmouth offense to compose a number of hoss fights with the likes of Baron Corbin and Samoa Joe. More battles like that are on the way.

The story told in most of those bouts was of one force of nature overwhelming another. Corbin was made to look like a beast by outlasting Rhyno. Joe emerged even more fearsome after dispatching of the ECW alum.

On SmackDown, similar narratives await.

Bray Wyatt is a smart rival for Rhyno. The Eater of Worlds has long been on the cusp of marquee status. Colliding with a formidable fellow predator will catapult him in that direction.

Gloating over a fallen Rhyno will be a powerful image to help boost Wyatt.

Apollo Crews is another option for the returning star, although it wouldn't lead to the same type of monster-against-monster dynamic we're used to seeing from Rhyno. Instead, he would be Crews' biggest challenge to date, a mountain for him to climb.

This would be a smart way to show off Crews' heart and resilience. To get his momentum going, look for WWE to pit Crews against Rhyno and book the babyface to come out on top.

Jinder Mahal

The buzz surrounding Mahal's return was funeral quiet.

You can't blame fans for their lack of enthusiasm. Mahal's peak was as part of 3MB, a comedy group that occupied the lowest levels of the tag team division. He has no great rivalries to his name and no stellar bouts to brag about. 

The commentary upon his arrival is a sign of how limited his latest run will be.

Fighting Spirit Magazine joked about Mahal improving his game:

The folks at Fightful.com tweeted that he has always been dull:

Mahal doesn't have the charisma, ring skills or verbal acumen to prove his doubters wrong. He's an ordinary presence in a land of larger-than-life creatures. 

Bet on him having a less than memorable return run. WWE will give him a brief shot to succeed and quickly change course, much the way it did after his solo heel tenure in 2012.

Before that, the best option for his opponents starts with Neville.

The high-flyer's electric offense would help Mahal put on strong matches. And Neville's place on the WWE ladder is a realistic place to position the former 3MB member. Fans will not buy into him as a title contender.

It wasn't that long ago that Mahal was tangling with a little person in a bull costume.

Count on Neville to maximize his meetings with Mahal. But those promise to be minimal-priority midcard fare.

WWE's alternative choice is to book Mahal against Darren Young. The company is clearly looking to showcase Young and his alliance with Bob Backlund. Young needs somebody to stomp on in order to get where he's going.

Mahal would provide him a fresh opponent and a vicious, low-rung foil. WWE shouldn't expect more than that from him.

Shelton Benjamin

By far, Benjamin will have the most impact of the three returning Superstars.

The dynamic former intercontinental champion never quite made it to marquee status, but he was consistently impressive in the ring. He thrived in tag teams and in solo action, in ladder matches and in standard contests.

Indy wrestler Gran Akuma commented on how good he's been of late:

Look for WWE to take advantage of his skills and popularity by placing him in the periphery of the world title picture. The New Era's cornerstones will hold on to the WWE World Championship, but Benjamin will be in the mix, adding a veteran presence to that title scene.

Benjamin would make a great opponent for AJ Styles when The Phenomenal One is done fighting John Cena. 

Their matches would be so full of athleticism, speed and breathtaking moves that they are bound to tear down the house a few times over. Plus, WWE could keep Styles' momentum with him as he adds another notable name to his list of enemies.

Dolph Ziggler is a smart rival for The Gold Standard, too. Should Ziggler fail to dethrone Dean Ambrose at SummerSlam, it would be counterproductive to just send him way back down on the card. Benjamin would provide a quality foe post-Ambrose, as both men look to move into the No. 1 Contender's spot.

Like with Styles, Benjamin's battles with Ziggler promise to be fast-paced fun.

Mahal's imprint on the New Era promises to be barely visible. Benjamin, meanwhile, will be an explosive element in a run sure to be filled with fireworks.