Making The Case: AJ Styles & Jinder Mahal Delivered A Big Time Main Event

If you know me at all, you know I love Jinder Mahal. I’ve been linked to the guy since calling his push right after WrestleMania 33 (go listen to DWI Podcast episode 100 if you don’t believe me). Jinder is perfect for Smackdown, which has labeled itself as “The Land Of Opportunity.” “The Maharaja” has grown into a performer who can do well in the ring and on the mic, to the point where basically the only knock against him is how he was booked before his meteoric rise.

Flip it around to AJ Styles, who at 40 years old can stake a legitimate claim towards being the very best in the world. Daniel Bryan (as Bryan Danielson), CM Punk, Chris Jericho and others have used “Best In The World” as a gimmick, but for AJ it’s no gimmick. It’s due praise.

Leading up to the main event of WWE Clash Of Champions, I heard several arguments being given for their match to not serve as the main event, and I feel they overcame the main two:

• Jinder Mahal doesn’t deserve another main event – That argument is moot at this point.
• Randy Orton & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn had the better build – I’d argue that it had the more intricate build, because it needed to. But that wasn’t a blow-off—this was.

The match itself did so many things right, and I am baffled by fans who are stating the contrary. “It wasn’t for me” just strikes me as a copout for someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. This was a great wrestling match, told a great story, featured great spots, and finished a feud in the right manner.

Exhibit A: The match played to the strengths of both AJ Styles and Jinder Mahal

AJ Styles lives up to his name: he’s a phenomenal athlete, a phenomenal in-ring performer. This match gave him the opportunity to showcase those skills, and Jinder provided the base AJ needed at times to pull everything off.

But AJ’s style (no pun intended, I promise) also allowed Jinder Mahal’s greatest strength—ring awareness—to shine through. Jinder masterfully used his surroundings to work on AJ’s ribs, an element of Jinder’s game that I bet has been there since his run as a low card guy and we simply weren’t smart enough to notice.

Exhibit B: Both men came out looking like a million bucks

Many members of the Internet Wrestling Community love to believe Jinder Mahal’s push came purely due to the WWE’s focus on India, but they should notice by now that that’s simply not the case.

WWE creates stars, and they chose Jinder. I knew they’d pick Jinder after he sold like a champ for Rob Gronkowski at WrestleMania 33…and I don’t mean selling for him in the ring. Jinder sold the situation and made it matter. Without Jinder Mahal, that doesn’t work at all.

For a good portion of this match, Jinder Mahal dominated AJ Styles. He worked a body part and it factored into the match (as it should). But Jinder also sold AJ’s working of his leg, and ended up tapping out to the Calf Crusher.

AJ looked great as well. He overcame Jinder’s onslaught, and was able to deal with The Singh Bros. Plus, he got to kick out of a super finisher. That always helps one’s cause!

Exhibit C: Everything they did was about the WWE Championship

There are plenty of times where the world championship isn’t in the main event. WrestleMania 33 is a great example, along with this year’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view event. But this event is named for championships, and Clash Of Champions should damn well be main evented by a world title match!

But this match was more than that.

Everything AJ Styles did was to defend his championship. Win, at all costs.

Everything Jinder Mahal did was to regain the championship. Win, at all costs.

Even The Singh Bros., solely in place to help Jinder as a champion, did their job. In fact, I could write an entire article about how The Four Horsemen were put together solely to protect the world champion, and no one has embodied that since. Nobody, that is, but The Singh Bros.

Back to this match, again it was about the title. The match before, which many thought should main event the show, was all over the place. In the end it was more about Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan than it was about the competitors in the ring, and that’s simply not main event material to me.

Closing Argument

I try to respect the opinions of others, but to me this is inarguable. I don’t care if you didn’t like the methodical nature of the match. Maybe it wasn’t the high-flying style you’re used to. Not enough striking for you. Too bad.

Our own Andrew Balaz, in his Official Chairshot Match Ratings, scored this match at four and a quarter stars. I’m not a star-ratings guy, but this seems dead on balls accurate to me.

This was a match where every performer did everything right. Jinder Mahal delivered. The Singh Bros. delivered. AJ Styles delivered. Even the announcers, along with the crowd, delivered. Big fight feel for a big fight.

If you didn’t like it, keep watching it until you do. Learn from it, because it was a masterful performance, equal parts Mahal and Styles, and it is what wrestling should be about.