JINDER HINDERED!

Welcome back, folks.

     Since my last entry here on "Phantom Bump" I've actually had a few minutes to sit down and WATCH the AJ Styles vs. Jinder Mahal WWE Championship match from this week's "Smackdown Live" and I have to say, it may have been Jinder's best performance to date.
I have to put a little asterisk on that statement given The Modern Day Maharajah's opponent that evening: The Phenomenal AJ Styles.

     Styles is, if not THE best all-around performer in the business, then he is right up there with the best the business has to offer (Hot take, right?)
His skills in the ring were on display in Manchester this week as he took Jinder to a new level and removed any lingering doubt I may have had about Mahal's legitmacy as a Main Event player... The irony is, of course, that it took Styles relieving Mahal of the belt to finally get Jinder "Over" fully with me.
AJ made Jinder look like a million rupees. (OK, given the exchange rate I'd probably be more correct in saying he made him look like 10 BILLION rupees. But I digress.)

     I've been on board with the Mahal "experiment" since day one (is H) and thought that he could "hang", as it were, in the Main Event scene if given the chance.
I wouldn't say Jinder's reign as WWE Champion has been outstanding, but I think he acclimated himself well and was a more believable champion than guys like Sheamus, Jack Swagger, et al. If I had to give Mahal's reign a letter grade I'd say C minus.
He held his own but never "wowed" me. I thought he improved over time and got more comfortable in the role, and I also think his character work was as good as anyone could hope for given his limited usage in the WWE during his first run with the company and the start of his second. However, Jinder never  got over with me in the way the WWE had hoped he would with fans.
That is, until this past Tuesday.

     There are guys like Styles that are so obviously talented that they can't be denied. They can wrestle the proverbial broom and put on a great match. Then there are the guys that are decent workers but, on their own, don't elevate their game to the next level. These performers, however, can be made to have outstanding matches if they are in there with a guy like Styles.

     Styles didn't "Carry" Mahal through the match, but he was a hell of a ring general and played to Jinder's strengths and hid his weaknesses. I hope the rest of the boys in the back (and the women) were watching, because Styles provided them with a very important lesson by example - Yes, he won the match and Mahal did the job, but in winning Styles was able to MAKE Mahal look like the credible heel main eventer that the WWE has been trying to build him into.

     I was thoroughly impressed with BOTH mens work in that match and when it was over I thought that Styles cemented Mahal's place at the top of the card.

So, what does the future hold for these two? Time will tell.
     The word on the street and in the sheets is that Styles will face Lesnar at "SS". I find it hard to believe that the WWE would invest as much time and effort into the Lesnar vs Mahal match build up just to throw it all away 2 weeks out from the event.
I, personally, don't believe things are as settled as they appear at the moment. If Mahal doesn't win back the title on the upcoming "go home" edition of "SDL" then I'd expect him to be involved in some capacity with the Lesnar vs Styles match at "SS".