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WWE has been building up anticipation for the arrival of Veer Mahaan on Raw, and after months and months of teasing he has finally arrived at the special post-WrestleMania Raw. He quickly asserted himself as a monster heel by attacking The Mysterios after their match with The Miz. While his initial impact was strong, attacking the babyface father-son duo, Mahaan's booking needs to be carefully planned to ensure the hype WWE built up is not wasted due to the number of time fans waited to see him.
Delay First In-Ring Action
Similar to how WWE built up the arrival of Mahaan on Raw, they should take a similar approach with his first match on Raw. Use social media to announce when his first match will take place, but use different methods to extend this over multiple weeks, One idea is to announce his opponent for the date then have Mahaan attack the opponent backstage, forcing WWE to delay his match for the following Raw. Use local jobbers as the first couple opponents, similar to Braun Strowman's arrival, then pick a main roster talent to stand up to the backstage attacks and finally have the match.
Squash Matches Will Be Key Early On
If WWE plans on using Mahaan as a typical heel monster, they need to build him with the best known formula; a series of squash matches. This can start with the first main roster match Mahaan has with a main roster talent, presumably someone lower on the pecking order like R-Truth. This will establish his credibility by defeating someone with name value, while preserving Mahaan's in-ring talent for a longer match with a more established superstar.
Veer Needs A Manager
While it is unclear how talented Mahaan is on the mic, he has not shown any clear indication that he can cut a promo to develop his character or progress storylines. As such, he should focus his energy on his in-ring skills and little details like facial expressions when in-front of the camera. He needs a manager to serve as the mouthpiece to enhance his character beyond the stereotypical monster heel who does not speak. Jinder Mahal can serve as the manager for a multitude of reasons: they were originally paired together with Jinder as the leader, Jinder has demonstrated his ability to work the mic in the past, and they both serve as key wrestlers for the budding Indian market that WWE is expanding into currently.
Veer Needs To Have A Purpose
With the Indian market in mind, WWE can incorporate this into the booking of Mahaan. Jinder can guide Mahaan's character from a monster heel to a man who wants to represent his country of India in the biggest wrestling promotion, WWE. Jinder can argue that India has been disrespected, and Mahaan has arrived to earn back that respect by defeating other countries' top talent. This can lead to a series of matches where Mahaal will attack international wrestlers like Finn Balor to establish India's dominance. After compiling a sizable undefeated streak, Jinder should focus on the end-goal; capturing the United States Championship to prove ultimate superiority.
Have Veer Win Competitive Matches
The culmination of months of booking will be the crowning moment when Mahaan defeats the current holder of the United States Championship on a pay-per-view to acquire his first taste of gold. While his prior matches have been squashes, this match should be used to showcase Mahaan's in-ring ability. Not only should his opponent get a fair amount of offense on him, but Mahaan should showcase his own offense too. The goal should be to book a 15-minute match that is fairly competitive in nature, but always shows signs that Mahaan has the edge on his opponent. When the bell finally rings, Mahaan should have captivated the audience with his performance, shown a chink in his armor, and established himself as the man to dethrone moving forward. He should follow up with a strong run with the championship before facing an established superstar who can finally give him his first loss on a larger pay-per-view such as SummerSlam or WrestleMania.
What To Avoid With Veer Mahaan
It is imperative to avoid anything that will feed into the idea that Veer Mahaan is nothing more than a meme. While his slow debut did produce some quality memes that in a way made Mahaan's eventual arrival even more impactful, it is important to continue this pattern. At 6' 4'' 276 lbs Mahaan is a massive superstar who should be treated as a threat, not a joke. Avoid anything that risks creating more moments that are meme worthy and focus on developing Mahaan's character to ensure a long-term shelf life for him on Raw.