Predicting How Long Jinder Mahal Will Remain WWE Champion on SmackDown Live

Jinder Mahal is the WWE Champion. It's a statement that would have sounded ridiculous even one month back when Mahal debuted on SmackDown Live.

It has been a remarkable and sudden turnaround for a wrestler who had never had a singles match on pay-per-view that was announced ahead of time before Backlash despite his 452 matches in WWE since he debuted in 2011.

There are many explanations for the move, from Mahal's clearly improved physique to WWE's steady increase in attention toward the market in India, but none of this could have prepared fans for Mahal to go from losing to Finn Balor in less than three minutes to becoming WWE Champion in a matter of a month.

Now this all raises the question: How long will WWE stick with The Modern Day Maharaja as the top champion of SmackDown? Ultimately, it comes down to the company's view of Mahal. Was this merely a marketing stunt, meant to make a splash in the short term, or will WWE stick with the champion as a newly crowned top heel on SmackDown?

Before making any firm prediction, it is important to look at buildup of Mahal over the past month. After a shocking victory in a Six-Pack Challenge match, Mahal labelled himself The New American Dream and began promising that he would defeat Randy Orton. No one truly expected Mahal had a chance, including WWE performers who stated as much on air.

It was clear that Mahal had been given an opportunity to prove himself and potentially become a larger name in WWE with a solid showing. However, Mahal had no experience competing at the top level, and WWE has almost never pushed a wrestler to the main event before firmly testing if they were ready.

When Backlash closed and Mahal stood victorious over Orton, WWE once again allowed talent to voice their shock and disbelief at the situation. Instead of promoting Mahal's victory, commentary spoke about the moment as if it was an impossibility now realized.

JBL stated that "hell has frozen over," while Byron questioned "what does this mean for SmackDown Live?" as if this would change the product forever. As Talking Smack opened, Renee Young remarked that "her brain had exploded" from shock.

It was clearly WWE's intention to showcase through Mahal's rise to prominence that anything could happen on SmackDown. This was meant to be the ultimate shocking moment, and it certainly caused a wave of emotion from fans. Only through this moment would people truly remember Backlash 2017.

However, this representation of Mahal's victory as a fluke could easily be seen as proof that WWE does not mean for him to carry the championship long. If shock value is the name of the game, there is only so much more that WWE can take from Mahal as champion.

On the other hand, there are signs from the response of other wrestlers to the situation that has been created through Mahal's victory that this could be a more permanent upgrade for The Maharaja.

Just as the moment got major attention from fans, many of Mahal's peers headed to Twitter to show their support for the new champion, from his former partners to many wrestlers who held the WWE Championship before him:

Clearly Mahal has earned the respect of the locker room for his hard work to get to this point. Even though Mahal has spent much of his career putting over other stars, he has been using these recent months to get into shape and improve both in the ring and on the mic.

Mahal has stated in interviews, including on Talk is Jericho, that he has reinvented himself as of late, finding the passion to succeed he had lacked in the past. Because of that, Mahal has gained the attention of Vince McMahon, who has personally supported the Indo-Canadian wrestler in his sudden rise to prominence.

Mahal's hard work is most clear in his physical transformation. While his size has caused many to accuse him of steroid use, which Mahal has firmly denied, it is clear that much of Mahal's work has come from his impressive diet and exercise routine that has made him look like a star in a way he never has before.

Alongside his new look and support from top WWE names, Mahal has fallen into the perfect opportunity thanks to his Indian heritage. WWE has steadily increased its interest in marketing to India, with WWE CFO George Barrios directly stating WWE's interest in expanding globally. India is a top priority in 2016, as reported by PWTorch.com.

WWE tried to make The Great Khali their star for India back in 2007, but Khali's injuries made it impossible for him to ever be a top star long. At just 30 years old, Mahal can be WWE's connection to India for the next decade while beginning WWE's steady push toward diversifying a main event scene that has long been dominated by American talent.

While there may be some justified doubt about Mahal's ability to perform at a main event level, the true test has just begun. With the support of most of the WWE locker room, including Vince McMahon himself, it looks likely that this will not just be a one-month surprise reign. In fact, if WWE means to continue to market to India, Mahal will most likely hold the title a few months at the least.

The best bet is that Mahal will remain champion through Money in the Bank and Battleground, SmackDown's next two PPVs, before dropping the championship to a top SmackDown face at Summerslam. This would give WWE a long look at Mahal's potential as a performer with multiple long headlining matches as well as see how he draws in audiences based on TV ratings and PPV ticket sales.

If Mahal loses the title back to Orton quickly, though, particularly before even getting to Money in the Bank, it would signal that WWE was merely trying to garner extra attention from fans in the short term, with Mahal's long-term prospects questionable.

While it was a shock to see at the time, Mahal's future looks bright. At a young age with the potential to open up WWE to a global market, the new WWE Champion may just have become a main event star overnight for SmackDown Live.