CHICAGO — Jinder Mahal had his opponent scouted. His game plan was sound. His confidence was through the roof. And yet, The Modern Day Maharaja learned firsthand why Roman Reigns’ yard won’t be annexed quite as easily as he hoped.
The Big Dog claimed victory over The Modern Day Maharaja, who had hoped to insert himself into the Universal Title race by taking the self-dubbed “uncrowned champion” out of the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. That landed him square in Reigns’ sights, but Mahal seemed to have found a way to defeat the typically unshakable Superstar: Essentially, get him to see red and then surprise him with as much chicanery as possible.
A ringside "miracle" helps Jinder Mahal get the upper hand in his WWE Money in the Bank 2018 match against Roman Reigns. Courtesy of WWE Network.
It looked, at first, like that would be the story of the night at WWE Money in the Bank. Mahal dodged an early Drive-By, and Sunil Singh, who came to the ring in a wheelchair, proved to be as healthy as a horse when he sprang up and hit Roman with a cheap shot by driving him into the ring post while the ref was distracted. The hostility of the Chicago crowd even appeared to help Mahal, as he whittled away against his opponent’s back. Even when Reigns began to rally, Mahal maintained control and stifled his sequences with power strikes and knees.
After being at each other’s throats for weeks, Roman Reigns and The Modern Day Maharaja settle the score in the squared circle.
But Mahal couldn’t close. Reigns hung tough against Jinder, and Mahal began to get more and more frustrated down the stretch, allowing Reigns to take advantage with some timely strikes of his own. He even thwarted another attempted interference from Singh, Superman Punching him out of the chair before spearing him halfway out of his shoes. Mahal, once again, seemed to be nearing victory in the chaos when he rolled Reigns up through the ropes, but The Big Dog kicked out and finally revved up into a match-ending Spear.
Credit to Mahal for his strategy and his confidence, but he would have done well to learn his own lesson and keep his eye on the ball. Because the second you take your foot off the pedal, that’s when Roman Reigns has you.
CHICAGO — Jinder Mahal had his opponent scouted. His game plan was sound. His confidence was through the roof. And yet, The Modern Day Maharaja learned firsthand why Roman Reigns’ yard won’t be annexed quite as easily as he hoped.
The Big Dog claimed victory over The Modern Day Maharaja, who had hoped to insert himself into the Universal Title race by taking the self-dubbed “uncrowned champion” out of the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. That landed him square in Reigns’ sights, but Mahal seemed to have found a way to defeat the typically unshakable Superstar: Essentially, get him to see red and then surprise him with as much chicanery as possible.
A ringside "miracle" helps Jinder Mahal get the upper hand in his WWE Money in the Bank 2018 match against Roman Reigns. Courtesy of WWE Network.
It looked, at first, like that would be the story of the night at WWE Money in the Bank. Mahal dodged an early Drive-By, and Sunil Singh, who came to the ring in a wheelchair, proved to be as healthy as a horse when he sprang up and hit Roman with a cheap shot by driving him into the ring post while the ref was distracted. The hostility of the Chicago crowd even appeared to help Mahal, as he whittled away against his opponent’s back. Even when Reigns began to rally, Mahal maintained control and stifled his sequences with power strikes and knees.
After being at each other’s throats for weeks, Roman Reigns and The Modern Day Maharaja settle the score in the squared circle.
But Mahal couldn’t close. Reigns hung tough against Jinder, and Mahal began to get more and more frustrated down the stretch, allowing Reigns to take advantage with some timely strikes of his own. He even thwarted another attempted interference from Singh, Superman Punching him out of the chair before spearing him halfway out of his shoes. Mahal, once again, seemed to be nearing victory in the chaos when he rolled Reigns up through the ropes, but The Big Dog kicked out and finally revved up into a match-ending Spear.
Credit to Mahal for his strategy and his confidence, but he would have done well to learn his own lesson and keep his eye on the ball. Because the second you take your foot off the pedal, that’s when Roman Reigns has you.
