Mezue ahịrịokwu na-esonụ: Na Eprel 18 nke "SmackDown Live", Mahal meriri ihe ịma aka isii nke gụnyere Mojo Rawley, Dolph Ziggler, Erick Rowan, Luke Harper na Sami Zayn iji nweta egwuregwu aha maka WWE Championship mgbe nnyonye anya nke ndị enyi ọhụrụ nke Mahal, The Singh Brothers (Samir na Sunil Singh). Dị ka akụkụ nke akụkọ, Mahal wakporo WWE Champion Randy Orton, na-ezu ohi belt na-efu Orton egwuregwu ya na Bray Wyatt na Payback na Eprel 30. Na May 2 nke "SmackDown Live", SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon manyere Mahal ịlaghachi eriri aha. Mahal gara n'ihu merie Sami Zayn n'oge na-adịghị anya na ihe omume ahụ ma tinye Randy Orton na egwuregwu egwuregwu mmadụ isii iji mee ka ndị otu ya merie izu na-esote na SmackDown. Na May 21 na Backlash, Mahal meriri Orton iji merie WWE Championship (ọchịchị mbụ ya na WWE), na-aghọ onye mmeri WWE nke iri ise a ma ama na nke mbụ nke agbụrụ India. Mgbe Mahal mere emume Punjabi maka mmeri ya na WWE Championship, Orton kpọkuru okwu mmeghachi omume ya maka Ego na Bank na June 18; na WWE Hall of Famers Bob Orton Jr., Ric Flair, na Sgt. Slaughter na ringside, Mahal meriri Orton na nchedo aha mbụ ya. Mgbe Orton were iwe rịọrọ maka egwuregwu ọzọ, McMahon nyere ya ya na ọnọdụ na Mahal ga-ahọrọ nkwekọrịta ahụ, nke gosipụtara na ọ bụ egwuregwu ụlọ mkpọrọ Punjabi. Ebe Mahal na-ezo aka na The Great Khali dị ka "dike onwe ya", Khali mechara laghachi na
Agha na July 23 iji nyere Mahal aka imeri Orton ma chekwaa aha ya.