Jinder Mahal is once again a member of the WWE NXT roster.
On Tuesday’s episode of WWE NXT, a New Year’s Evil special, The Creed Brothers (Julius & Brutus Creed), were scheduled to take on Indus Sher (Veer & Sanga).
However, Sanga came out to the ring and stated that Veer was not present for their match. Sanaga stated that he’d face The Creeds 2-on-1 but coming from behind to ambush The Creeds was Mahal. Sanga and Mahal took out both Julius and Brutus.
Mahal joined WWE in 2010, and he made his main roster debut the following year. He joined the stable 3MB with Heath Sater and Drew McIntyre after a brief alliance with The Great Khali before he and McIntyre were fired from the company in 2014.
Mahal returned to WWE in 2016 with a significantly improved physique, which led to his victory over Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in April 2017. His reign lasted for about six months. He captured the WWE United States Championship at WrestleMania 34 in 2018.
Mahal and Seth Rollins squared off in 2012 to crown the first-ever NXT Champion.
Mahal’s previous TV match was in November when he lost to Braun Strowman in a SmackDown World Cup First Round match.
Tonight’s WWE SmackDown takes place from Worcester, Massachusetts at the DCU Center. The top items advertised for the show include:
Jinder Mahal challenges Ricochet for the Intercontinental championship
Drew McIntyre faces Sami Zayn
We can also expect continued hype for WrestleMania Backlash, including a possible appearance by Raw tag team champions RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle).
Jinder Mahal and Ricochet have been going back and forth on Twitter, talking trash ahead of their championship showdown.
On Thursday, Jinder Mahal wrote that the Modern Day Maharajah will rule once again when he embarrasses the current champion.
Ricochet replied with a sick burn about Mahal’s photo-cropping skills and says Mahal is the one who will be left embarrassed after the match.
Need to be embarrassed not knowing how to properly crop your photos.
The only one that will be embarrassed tomorrow, is you big dog. See you tomorrow 👀 https://t.co/L6JBEd7YXg
WWE’s declining ratings are generally attributed to the notion of the officials blocking the rise of new stars. Though Jinder Mahal doesn’t agree with this sentiment. The former WWE champion recently had an interview with Inside The Ropes. Discussing the belief that WWE doesn’t create new stars anymore, he named the stars of different generations including his own:
“Yeah, they absolutely do. That’s what we’re in the business of, right? Just being a fan myself. So I grew up first the Hulk Hogan era. Then the new stars came Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Mankind, right? And the new stars came the next generation – Rock, Stone Cold and then the next generation after that, Randy Orton and John Cena, Batista, right? And then the next generation after that, I guess, is possibly my generation, right? Me, Drew McIntyre, Big E, Bobby Lashley, Kofi Kingston, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins.”
Jinder Mahal had a 170 day long WWE title reign in 2017
The former NXT star went on to describe how the names he listed alongside his own are all first-time world champions. Jinder Mahal explained that out of the total 53 WWE champions in the history of the company, 10 have been crowned in the past decade which is a proof of the fact that WWE still creates stars:
“So actually, I started with WWE in 2010 and all those champions that I’ve listed are first-time champions and there’s more that I’ve missed. So in the last ten years, we have had several champions. And if you look back in the 70-year history, I believe we’re at number 53. Ten have happened in the ten years. I think that speaks for itself, that we are creating new stars.
Mahal went on to say that looking at the stats will make people realize that there have been a lot of first-time champions. He claimed that people just need to sit back and enjoy the product and let the storylines unfold. Jinder Mahal won the WWE Championship from Randy Orton at Backlash in May 2017. He held the title for a total of 170 days before dropping it to AJ Styles in November the same year.
Mahal is currently involved in a feud with his friend and former 3MB teammate, Drew McIntyre. The two will collide this Saturday night (Aug. 21) at WWE SummerSlam. It’s Mahal’s highest-profile rivalry since he lost the WWE Championship back in 2017.
During an interview with GiveMeSport, Jinder Mahal expressed his belief that his detractors have downplayed the hard work he put in to become WWE Champion.
“So this is just people downplaying my accomplishments. WWE Universe in India, their TV deals everything, were just as much in play when I was in 3MB and while I was released I do believe WWE Raw was the live on Sony. When I was brought back who still write live on Sony. I wasn’t brought back to become WWE Champion, at that time they separated the rosters again, Raw and SmackDown, and they just needed some people who were TV-ready essentially to throw on and maybe highlight some of the newer talent, but somewhere along the line I knew ‘Hey this is my way in. This is my foot in the door. I’m going to knock the whole door down and I’m going to become WWE Champion.’
“So that’s like me saying ‘Hey Drew, you were WWE Champion because WWE wanted to expand into the UK’. Why is that? Why are people not saying that? Right now Drew is celebrated, I’m the one who was this experimental champion, which is untrue. I’ve worked hard for and I’ve earned every opportunity that I’ve ever been given, every championship that I’ve had I’ve worked very very hard for.”
Many have criticized Mahal’s 2017 run as WWE Champion. The general consensus is that the title change felt rushed and that Mahal’s character wasn’t built up before the title victory to look credible as champion. Even McIntyre shared that belief in an interview.
Following Monday Night Raw, a stipulation has been added to the SummerSlam match between Mahal and McIntyre. Mahal’s cronies, Shanky and Veer, won’t be allowed at ringside. Furthermore, McIntyre is allowed to bring his sword.
WWE has released over 50 superstars this year alone. A lot of them didn’t even get an opportunity to showcase their talent properly during their time with the company and Jinder Mahal has an advice for the released stars.
The former WWE champion recently had an interview with SK Wrestling. The Modern-Day Maharaja said that his advice for anyone who has been let go recently is to look at it as an opportunity to redefine themselves:
“The door is always open in WWE, My advice to anyone who just got released is to look at this as an opportunity.” said Jinder Mahal,” An opportunity to redefine yourself. Make some noise.”
The former NXT star continued by mentioning how wrestling is super hot right now both in WWE and outside as well. With the return of fans, it’s a great opportunity to plant a flag and make a name for yourself:
“You know wrestling in WWE is super super hot. Internationally everything. We got crowds back. But wrestling outside of WWE is also picking up steam
And that’s a great place to plant your flag, make a name for yourself and eventually make it back to WWE.”
Jinder Mahal has firsthand experience of rebuilding himself after a WWE release. He was let go in 2014 but he continued working hard. He made his return to the company in 2016 and went on to win the WWE title in May 2017.
Jinder Mahal is back on WWE Monday Night Raw as he made his return on the May 10 edition of the program.
He did so when he beat Jeff Hardy in a quick match. He was joined by former NXT tag team Indus Sher (Rinku Singh and Dilser Shanky). They are now going by the names Veer and Shanky.
He appeared on the May 3rd Main Event TV tapings where he beat Hardy in a singles match. Mahal did work the Superstar Spectacle special back in January that aired on the WWE Network as he teamed up with The Bollywood Boyz to face Drew McIntyre and Indus Sher.
In June 2019, Mahal went to Birmingham, Alabama to undergo knee surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center.
While wrestling Ali, who won the match, at the WWE live event in Denver, Colorado in June he ruptured his patella tendon. Mahal had signed a new deal that was said to be for 5 years while on the shelf.
He returned to action in April 2020 before suffering another injury. WWE was forced to scrap a planned feud between Mahal and McIntyre.
Jinder Mahal returned to action on this week’s edition of WWE Main Event on Hulu. The match was taped prior to Monday’s Raw.
The former WWE Superstar was not alone. He was accompanied by former NXT tag team Indus Sher. That team has undergone a change and now comprised of Rinku Singh and the 7-footer, Dilser Shanky. They are now going by the names Veer and Shanky.
Mahal picked up a victory over Jeff Hardy, a sign that WWE is looking to jumpstart his character with some momentum. Meanwhile, Jeff Hardy is losing to Jinder Mahal on Main Event.
Jinder Mahal has been out of action since May 2020, while Indus Sheer’s last match for NXT took place just a few weeks after that.
You can check out some highlights from Jinder Mahal’s return here:
Main Event this week played host to the return of former WWE champion Jinder Mahal. Mahal stepped into the ring for the first time since January this year.
Jinder Mahal suffered a serious knee injury in May 202. Other than a taped match in January for the WWE Superstar Spectacle, he has been completely absent. Main Event is taped every week before the live RAW show begins. There were several good names on the card, but the return of Mahal was arguably a big affair for the lesser watched weekly show.
Nothing was mentioned by WWE on social media, but fans were quick to spread the word of the Maharaja’s return.
Just going to mention, Jinder Mahal beat Jeff Hardy on Main Event with help from one half of Indus-Sher and someone I forgot the name of. pic.twitter.com/xTBY10kOZO
His return was a spirited affair against Jeff Hardy. Hardy himself was making a return to the ring after a short layoff. The match looked to have Mahal continue with the same character as prior to his injury. Only this time he has swapped his alliance with the Bollywood Boys for another Indian duo, the former NXT team Indus Sher.
Jinder Mahal Will Surely Be Seeking WWE Gold Once More
Not much is known right now about the angle of Jinder Mahal’s return or any feuds that he is likely to enter. With Raw already boasting a heel heavy roster, there is no natural place for the former champion to take.
The pairing would also indicate that Indus Sher will be making their Main Roster debut also. Whether they will get a push in the tag team division or merely serve as Jinder Mahal’s lackeys remains to be seen.
You have to imagine Mahal will want to get back into the title picture. However, easing him in after such a length layoff may make more sense. Expect to see him wrestling a little lower down the card than he was used to. Especially as all current champions are engaged in new feuds.
Jinder Mahal revealed earlier this month that he has undergone knee surgery. Latest reports suggest that the timing for it was not in Mahal’s favor as he was supposed to be involved in a big feud before being put on the shelf.
Dave Meltzer discussed the injury of the former WWE Champion on the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter and revealed that he was scheduled to feud with the WWE Champion Drew McIntyre before the surgery.
Meltzer noted that the match for Mahal was discussed because of the lack of top heels on the Raw brand and the idea behind it was that the two already had a history from their time as part of 3MB.
Though this rivalry wasn’t supposed to last for very long and while not confirmed, it’s likely that the Modern Day Maharaja was going to be just a stop on McIntyre’s reign.
Jinder Mahal announced on Instagram earlier this month that he has undergone another knee surgery which was especially surprising because he only returned from a knee injury after a year of absence in April this year.
His recent surgery was apparently only scheduled to be a minor operation but the damage turned out to be more significant than expected.
So far there is no word on how long Mahal will stay out of action but we will keep you posted about any updates on his recovery.
Jinder Mahal underwent another knee surgery this week.
The former WWE Champion posted a photo on Instagram with his leg bandaged up post-operation. He wrote on Friday morning,
“Unfortunately I had to go under the knife again to fix some knee issues. The journey has hit a speed bump, but I will be back stronger than ever.”
Jinder Mahal reportedly signed a 5-year contract extension in early 2019. He was injured in June 2019 during a WWE live event. He underwent surgery that month to repair a ruptured patella tendon. Since then, he has been rarely seen on television.
Mahal returned on the April 27th, 2020 edition of WWE Raw.
It appears that WWE has some interesting plans for returning RAW Superstar Jinder Mahal. The former WWE Champion returned to television on the 4/27 episode of Monday Night RAW. Sporting a new look, Mahal defeated 205 Live’s Akira Tozawa in a dominant victory. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE is interested in positioning Mahal as a babyface going forward.
Jinder Mahal appeared on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW. He delivered a positive, babyface promo backstage. During his promo, Jinder Mahal praised Drew McIntyre’s success in WWE. He shared how he is “positively elated” for his friend.
Having returned, he stressed how he is on a new path now. He confessed he has made a lot of mistakes in the past. Not interested in repeating those errors, Jinder Mahal was adamant that his journey back to the top will be a “Hero’s journey.”
The belief is that WWE wants to have a top babyface from India and that Jinder Mahal is the right choice. It was noted that Mahal’s previous main event run apparently didn’t make a big difference in India.
“The Modern Day Maharaja” was a heel during that time, so perhaps a push as a babyface could lead to different results.
Former WWE Superstar Ryback recently commented on the WWE Championship situation on his Conversation With The Big Guy podcast. The ‘Big Guy’ would praise Drew McIntyre; discussing how he went from perennial jobber for life to become one of the most promising prospects of the next decade.
Another Superstar that Ryback would comment on was Jinder Mahal. The former 3MB member of course teamed with McIntyre for a big chunk of his WWE career alongside the now released Heath Slater. Both Mahal and McIntyre have held WWE main event gold; however while the seemingly ‘shocking’ WWE Championship win of Mahal seemed to be an anomaly? McIntyre looks set to remain in the main event picture.
Jinder Mahal Returns
Ryback would discuss how Jinder Mahal is a potential opponent for McIntyre down the line, seeing as both have parallels in their career paths and their history in the 3 Man Band stable. “He [Jinder Mahal] was off TV I think for like nine or 10 months? For a pretty significant period of time” Ryback would begin. “They [WWE] just assume that everyone forgets everything.”
Ryback would then talk about how WWE fans have a good memory when it comes to the perception of talent, with Jinder having previously played a lower-card comedy character. The subsequent rise of Mahal to the WWE Championship originally was such that unlike McIntyre, fans didn’t really seem to latch on to the ‘Modern Day Maharaja’ as a main event character.
In The ‘Circle’
“This is one of those things, I don’t think Jinder is in the ‘circle'” Ryback would continue. “I don’t think he ever was in the ‘circle.’ I think that he served a purpose for them by putting the title on him, because of the rumours of that whole thing with India? Whatever the reason was.”
The ‘Big Guy’ would then finish by talking about how Jinder was dropped down the pecking order by WWE after he lost the WWE Title. Ryback would also claim that talents in that coveted ‘circle’ do not get demoted after they lose a title. “You see the guys that are in the circle? They will stay [in the main event] well after. Jinder didn’t, and he was relegated back to no entrance, which is the worst thing for any wrestler. When you’re getting put out there with no entrance? That sh*ts not good.”
Scottish Psychopath vs Modern Day Maharaja?
Ryback finished by saying that he believes Jinder will get a shot at the title, but it will be a short program with McIntyre. “I think he’ll be used for a matchup for Drew. They’re [WWE] gonna make Jinder look like he was this former champion, build them up and to serve the purpose of getting a one off probably. My personal opinion? I hope it’s more for Jinder. But, just based on how they have used him throughout? He’s never, never been in the circle.”
Do you think that Jinder Mahal will get a match for the WWE Championship? Let us know in the comments
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre has addressed the status of his former 3MB stablemates Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal. Speaking with Metro, McIntyre acknowledged Slater’s recent release from WWE. He revealed how the former-Superstar already has a “game plan he’s forming.”
Having been fired from WWE in the past, Drew McIntyre used that time away to reinvent himself. He eventually returned and ultimately claimed the WWE Championship. He shared that he is currently giving Slater advice on what to do now he is no longer with WWE.
The WWE Champion is confident that Slater will “really get to show the world what he’s capable of.”
According to McIntyre, there’s no reason Slater won’t take over the world, be brought back to WWE and get another opportunity, just as he was.
Drew McIntyre On a Jinder Mahal Feud
Turning his attention to Jinder Mahal’s recent return to Monday Night RAW, Drew McIntyre confessed he isn’t sure if fans would buy into a feud between them right away. He acknowledged that they have a “legitimate, real story” that can be built on.
McIntyre shared how Mahal needs a bit of a run first, allowing him to “build up some steam.”
Once that’s done and the time is right, only then should they come together. “Aside from what people saw on television, besides the fact he won the title before me and everyone kind of crapped on it, then I won the title and everybody kinda praised it.”
Drew McIntyre is set to defend his WWE Championship against Seth Rollins this Sunday. The two clash at WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
Jinder Mahal made his in-ring return after almost a year of absence earlier last month but the former Champion had to do it in an empty arena due to the current situations.
WWE posted a behind the scene video of his return recently where the former WWE Champion talked about his time away and revealed that he actually reached out to WWE officials after getting cleared to set up his return.
The video also featured the post-match comments after his comeback. Discussing the bout, Jinder admitted that he was a bit nervous coming in but claimed that it felt good:
“Coming in I was kind of a little bit nervous, over how I would perform with no fans, just because a lot of what I do is based off reactions and instincts, and feelings. You know, kind of their reactions does dictate a lot of what I do in the ring, so it felt good. I really did miss it while I was gone.”
WWE announced back in June 2019 that Jinder Mahal has suffered a knee injury and the required surgery will keep him out of action for somewhere between six to twelve months.
He was part of the SmackDown brand at the moment but the Modern Day Maharaja was sent back to Raw during the 2019 draft when the Blue Branded Show moved to Fox.
Mahal finally made his return to WWE programming during the April 27 episode of Monday Night Raw where he defeated Akira Tozawa in a one on one match.
Jinder Mahal returned to WWE last night on RAW. The former WWE Champion defeated Akira Tozawa in his return from an extended stay on the injured list. It was his first match since a WWE house show on June 15th, 2019. A knee injury hindered Jinder for over 10 months.
WWE correspondents caught up with Jinder backstage at RAW last night. The former champion said he feels disrespected by the WWE fans and his fellow Superstars during the interview.
“Congratulations? You want to congratulate me? I feel disrespected. I feel disrespected by my peers, by the WWE universe,” Jinder said during the conversation. “People thought I was gone for good. I was injured, I had knee surgery, they thought that was it.”
Jinder then continued to talk about his many accomplishments in WWE. These include his run as WWE Champion from May 21, 2017, until November 7th, 2017.
“I’m a former United States champion, a former WWE Champion. I haven’t forgotten that. Akira Tozawa hasn’t forgotten that and I strongly suggest that all of you do not forget.”
Jinder Mahal has made his return to WWE television.
The former WWE Champion did so during Monday’s episode of RAW in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center on the USA Network by beating Akira Tozawa in a singles match.
Mahal, who has a new look as he cut his hair short, squashed the 205 Live star in a short match that was capped off with his finisher to win the contest.
The last that fans saw him, Mahal hadn’t been doing much on television since last year on RAW or SmackDown. He had been involved in recent WWE 24/7 Title chase segments where he became a two-time WWE 24/7 Champion but lost the title.
Last June, Mahal went to Birmingham, Alabama to undergo knee surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center.
At the time of the injury, he noted in an Instagram post that while wrestling Ali, who won the match, at the WWE live event in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, June 15, he ruptured his patella tendon.
One positive thing going for him at the time was that Mahal had signed a new deal that is said to be for 5 years.
Jinder Mahal has been out of action because of suffering from a patellar tendon rupture which required surgery. He suffered the injury during a live event in June and hasn’t been seen in the ring since.
Mahal seems to be getting back in shape and up for a return soon as he posted a video of himself training on his Instagram account with the caption “Be back soon.”
Jinder Mahal was drafted to Raw during the WWE Draft three months ago. Before getting drafted to the red brand, he was involved in feuds with R Truth for the 24/7 Championship. He was able to capture the championship twice in June 2019.
It was reported during that time that Mahal had signed a five year deal with WWE.
After leaving the company in 2014, Mahal returned two years later with a dramatically improved physique and rose to main-event prominence. He was able to defeat Randy Orton at Backlash in May 2017 to become the 50th WWE Champion. He lost the title in November of that year but went on to win the United States title at WrestleMania.
It would be interesting to see what WWE does with Mahal when he eventually makes his return.
Jinder Mahal had a considerably long run with the WWE Championship back in 2017, though his title reign came to an abrupt end when he lost the belt to AJ Styles during the November 7 episode of SmackDown, prior to Survivor Series.
During his recent interview with TalkSport, the former
Champion discussed a number of things and he also revealed when he found out
about his title loss.
Mahal claimed that he was told about it on the day of the
show itself, just like he had found out about his WWE title win on the day of
his victory:
“[I found out I was going to lose the title] the day of the tapings in Manchester, the day of. AJ was in and I was out just like that. That’s the thing though: I found out I was becoming WWE champion in one day. I won it in one day and I lost it in one day. But, that’s the way it goes.”
The former titleholder went on to talk about how this is an example of how things can change in WWE and he then recalled watching the various events in his childhood.
Jinder Mahal won the WWE Championship by defeating Randy
Orton in a singles match at Backlash 2017. His reign lasted for almost 170 days
before he dropped the title to AJ Styles.
Apart from this, Jinder also talked about his injury, what he plans to do in his time away from the ring and more. You can check out his full interview at this link.
Just days removed from the news that Jinder Mahal had signed a new contract with WWE, the former WWE Champion revealed that he’ll be on the sidelines.
Mahal noted in a post on his official Instagram account that he was in Birmingham, Alabama to undergo knee surgery at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center. In this post, he noted that while wrestling Ali, who won the match, at the WWE live event in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, June 15, he ruptured his patella tendon.
As of this writing, there’s no word yet on when Mahal will be back in action. The good news is that that surgery went well and his knee is better than expected. You can see his post here:
Earlier this week it was reported that Mahal had signed a new deal that is said to be for 5 years. Jinder joins Mojo Rawley, Mike Kanellis, and Maria Kanellis as stars who have recently signed new five-year contracts.
Mahal hasn’t been doing much on television since last year on RAW or SmackDown Live. He has been involved in recent WWE 24/7 Title chase segments where he became a two-time WWE 24/7 Champion but lost the title.
Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal joins the ongoing list of current stars to sign a new contract with WWE.
On Tuesday, Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling sheet reported that he has signed a new deal that is said to be for 5 years. Since the launch of AEW (All Elite Wrestling), the company has been trying to sign their talent to long term deals to keep them under contract. This is the same length that WWE has been re-signing talents to as of late.
Jinder joins Mojo Rawley, Mike Kanellis, and Maria Kanellis as stars who have recently signed new five-year contracts. It’s no secret that there have been reports about several talents being unhappy in the company and looking to exit when their deals expire.
Mahal hasn’t been doing much on television since last year on RAW or SmackDown Live. He has been involved in recent WWE 24/7 Title chase segments where he became a two-time WWE 24/7 Champion but lost the title.
Mahal would win a Six-Pack Challenge match that earned him the status as No. 1-contender for the WWE Championship, which was then-held by Randy Orton who defeated Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 33 for the strap.
Mahal won the WWE Title from Orton back in May 2017 where he would hold it for 170 days.
After losing the title on an airport tarmac before the flight, R-Truth has re-captured the 24/7 title. Jinder Mahal had pinned Truth before the plane took off but evidently was over-confident mid-flight as he took a nap. Truth then pinned the champion as he slept to regain the title. R-
WWE posted video of Truth pinning the sleeping champion on a plane:
After winning the title, Truth once again declared himself the “European” 24/7 champion. This started off a commotion with the other wrestlers on the flight but Truth escaped to the plane’s lavatory.
The mid-flight title change is the 10th to occur since Mick Foley introduced the title on the May 20th edition of RAW. Truth is now a 5x 24/7 champion and has held the title for 18 days as of this writing.
Elias and Jinder Mahal have each won the title twice, though each time they would lose it again shortly after. Elias won the title twice on Smackdown while Jinder has won the title on a golf course and airport tarmac.
Titus O’Neil was the first 24/7 champion after he was the first to simply pick the title up off the mat after Foley had placed it there.
The title change occurred earlier this week as R-Truth was getting ready to board an airplane en route to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for WWE Super ShowDown.
Jinder Mahal makes good on his promise to reclaim the 24/7 Championship, defeating R-Truth on the airport tarmac as the WWE Superstars head to Jeddah for Super ShowDown.
This marks Jinder Mahal’s second reign as 24/7 Champion and the 10th title reign since the belt was introduced back on May 20th.
As of this writing, R-Truth is the Superstar with the most 24/7 title reigns (4 reigns) and combined days as champion (17 days).
Watch: Jinder Mahal Wins WWE 24/7 Championship on Airport Tarmac
Jinder Mahal was briefly the WWE 24/7 champion today. Mahal won the title after a sneak attack on a golf course. Truth and Carmella had been on the golf course trying to enjoy a day off at the time they were attacked by Mahal.
WWE posted the video of Mahal’s short title reign to their YouTube account:
R-Truth 24/7 Championship Reign
Truth is now a 3x 24/7 Champion. He is one of five people to hold the belt since it was introduced by Mick Foley on May 20th, 2019. On that episode of RAW, Foley simply placed the title on the mat and the first person to physically hold the title became the champion.
Titus O’Neil was the first to grab the title but he was pinned by Robert Roode shortly after. Roode was then pinned by Truth, who would hold the title a record 8 days until losing it to Elias on the May 28th, 2019 Smackdown. Truth would regain the title again later that episode.
WWE Hardcore Championship
As K-Kwik, Truth is a 2x former WWE Hardcore Champion as well. He never held that title longer than a full day, however. Kwik defeated Raven on a February 3rd, 2001 live event for the title but would lose it later that same show to Crash Holly.
The exact same pattern would play out the next day at a February 4th WWE house show, making Kwik a 2x champion.
WWE has posted a video of what transpired after Monday’s Raw from Atlanta, GA went off the air. The show ended with a hot angle that saw the return of Batista, who attacked Ric Flair backstage and ruined his 70th birthday celebration.
After Raw, Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers came out for a Punjabi celebration in honor of Ric Flair. They began dancing around before Shawn Michaels hit Jinder with Sweet Chin Music. Kurt Angle then gave him an Angle Slam through the birthday cake that was set up in the ring.
The Singh Brothers got similar treatment as the night ended with Michaels, Angle, Sting and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat standing tall. You can see the footage below:
Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic
Ricochet and Aleister Black are the latest tag team duo to join this year’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament. They announced the news backstage at Monday’s Raw:
Onze Nederlandse trots @WWEAleister & de ‘One & Only’ @KingRicochet hebben afgelopen nacht gewonnen van #RAW tag team kampioenen #TheRevival! Ook nemen ze samen deel aan de Dusty Rhodes Classic! pic.twitter.com/akjqha3cgX
The 8-team single-elimination tournament kicks off on next week’s edition of NXT TV. The tournament finals will take place during WrestleMania weekend at NXT Takeover: New York. In addition to Ricochet and Black, other teams confirmed for this year’s Dusty Classic include:
Undisputed Era (Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish)
The Forgotten Sons
Aichner & Barthel
The Street Profits
The remaining three teams will be announced in the coming weeks.
WWE are reportedly looking to push one of their more overlooked Superstars in the near future. This week’s episode of RAW saw Apollo Crews beat Jinder Mahal. Crews took the win after hitting a Standing Moonsault which seemed somewhat of a shock. Crews lost his last bout to Dolph Ziggler on RAW.
On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio Dave Meltzer confirmed that there are new creative plans for the Superstar. Meltzer claimed that WWE are looking to push Crews as a ‘highlight reel’ on the show. Crews is one of the more athletically gifted stars on the RAW roster, so this new vision may have potential.
It is also been reported that Crews is no longer part of the Titus Worldwide faction.
News surrounding Apollo Crews has been sparse over the past few months. Crews lost and regained his surname from his character earlier this year. There was speculation that his name change may have been in response to Nikolas Cruz, the Florida school shooter who killed 17 people earlier this year.
