WWE is coming to India after a long gap of six years with the Superstar Spectacle on September 8th in Hyderabad and former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal is eagerly awaiting his return to India. He is currently managing the upcoming tag team duo of Veer and Sanga – Indus Sher – who will be challenging for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, but he also has his eyes set on making his mark for the second time around, after headlining the WWE Live Supershow here in 2017.
In an exclusive interview to News18 Sports, Jinder Mahal sheds light on his career resurgence, the dynamic shift in WWE, and his aspirations for both himself and his fellow Indian wrestlers.
Why did it take WWE so long to return to India. The last live show was in 2017 which you headline with Triple H in New Delhi?
I’m wondering the same thing. Unfortunately, we had the pandemic and then things have been challenging since then. But I hope returning to WWE in India is an annual thing. I definitely want to come more often because, as you know, the most passionate fans in the whole world are in India and you guys deserve more live shows. I’m going to try my best. I don’t know how far that goes, but definitely we’re going to come back more often.
Just reflecting on your previous visit, the WWE Super Show. What was that experience like?
Yeah, it was incredible. I made history becoming the WWE Champion. Two years prior to that, I was unfortunately released from WWE and that just motivated me so much just to come back and completely reinvent myself. I think it was a real big moment also for the WWE Locker room.
Everybody saw that anything is possible. Drew McIntyre came back and became WWE Champion. Actually, so many first-time WWE Champions came. Bobby Lashley, seeing him become champion was amazing. He came back to WWE. It was just incredible.
Then I got to compete against Triple H in Delhi. Unfortunately, I had lost the WWE Championship before that match, but it’s okay. We still got to have an incredible match and just seeing the fans and the passion and listening to the crowd, chants and all that, it was incredible. Just seeing the passion and getting out of the arena in the bus, just the fans were still going wild, everyone was still buzzing. We look forward to doing it again.
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE | Indus Sher to Challenge Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for WWE Tag Team Championships at Superstar Spectacle in India – News18
Actually, for the first time ever WWE is coming to Hyderabad. As you mentioned, after six years, we have John Cena for the first time ever in India going to be competing in a match. That’s a huge moment. It’s sold out, so you already know that the WWE Universe in India is going to be buzzing. I’m just looking forward to that.
Actually, first time it’s being announced here, that Indus Sher will be challenging for the WWE Tag team championships against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. That’s going to be a huge moment, a huge match. We’re going to try our best to become tag team champions in India. That would be a historic moment in itself. We have Drew McIntyre coming, Matt Riddle, Rhea Ripley, Natalaya. There are so many WWE Superstars are coming and everybody is super excited.
There’s been a notable transition in your role; you’re managing Indus Share now. How did that transition occur in terms of getting into that manager role? I know there was an injury concern late last year. How has been that experience for you? You haven’t done this. Managing is not something that you’ve done. You’ve always been an in-ring performer.
Yeah, exactly. Just where I’m at now in my WWE Career, experiencing so much, having a lot of knowledge I always try to share it with other Indian WWE Superstars. I had the Singh Brothers with me before. Then I introduced Shanky and Veer to the WWE Universe. Actually, Shanky will be also coming to Hyderabad.
I just saw it as an opportunity when I was injured when I was coming back to go to NXT and be paired with those two. Indus Sher I think are an incredible tag team, just the power, the intensity in which they compete, and just their characters, how they show the Indian flavour, the traditional warrior style. As you know, we have a rich history of warriors, Indian warriors, and they’re very proud of their heritage and all of that and just want to show it to the rest of the world and become champions. There’s no better place than Hyderabad, September 8th, Superstar Spectacle.
We have talked about this in the past about Indus Sher and how you collaborating with them really could be a game-changer for the Indian audience and for the Indian market for WWE, so to speak. The vision has now materialized, and you are somebody who has grown up with pro-wrestling, unlike Veer and Sanga. Veer is from a baseball background and Sanga (Saurav Gurjar) was an actor here in India, and this is new to them. What are the insights that you’re giving to them?
Yeah, of course, obviously, anything that happens in ring, but outside of the ring, working out together, traveling together because that’s a challenge in itself, traveling across the country and finding gyms and how to how to basically eat properly, get all your nutrition in while traveling is a challenge in itself. Then, of course, just helping them with the matches and anything, character stuff, talking on the microphone, everything, as much as I can help and guide them. They’re awesome on their own. They’re learning super quickly. I think it’s only been a few months we’ve been on RAW. We haven’t got the footing yet that we want, but its coming. Every week, we’re getting better. We’re still working, though no one sees it. We’re constantly working.
I watch old matches with them a lot and explain things. They’re doing great. They’re understanding everything. Of course, as you mentioned, Veer coming from baseball, and Sanga was actually a kick-boxing champion before that. They’re world-class athletes along with being an actor, so he understands entertainment very well. They’re very well-versed. They’re very well fitted for WWE, a form of entertainment and being a WWE superstar. I’m expecting big things from both of them.
READ MORE: John Cena ‘Especially Excited’ To Make His Wrestling Debut In India At WWE Superstar Spectacle – News18
There’s not much in-ring action that we’ve been able to see you in. The most recent single match for you was February when you went on with Bron Breakker for the NXT Championship. Would that change in superstar spectacle in some way? We would like to see you perform. And, Second part of this question is certain John Cena is going to be here and there cannot be a better opponent or a better guy than you, at least. If John Cena is coming to India for the first time and competing here, it should be you, isn’t it?
I need to be focused with Indus Sher to become tag team champions. That’s my number one goal. If John Cena, if he wants to make the challenge, whatever, we’ll see. But my main focus is to get Indus Sher be the tag team champions. I’ll be managing them. And then obviously, a lot goes on backstage that I’m going to be helping and guiding them with. So my focus needs to be here. I think this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in India and have a tag team championship match. I’ve had matches with John Cena in the past. He’s incredible. And whoever is going to have to match with that night is going to be incredible. It’s going to be an incredible experience with the fans and the crowd there and making history. But I think I need to focus on the tag team championship match as of now, but anything is possible.
The WWE landscape has changed a lot 2017. Particularly, the title scene has intensified. One of the things that worked for you was that ‘Maharajah’ persona – a kind of career resurgence. Are we going to see that anytime soon? What does the future hold for Jinder Mahal?
That’s an interesting question. The future? Yeah, I would, of course, love to become champion again, whether that’s Seth Rollins’ championship, who will also be there with the championship, the World Heavyweight Championship; Roman Reigns has a lock on the undisputed World Championship. That would be incredible to face Roman Reigns. But definitely, the Maharajah is not done. The Maharaja is just waiting. But at the same time, I have other goals right now and other focus and that’s to help all the Indian WWE superstars achieve new heights. Whether it’s not me, I’ll be helping guide someone else to become a world champion or a WWE Champion in the future. Definitely, the future is bright. If it’s not myself, it’ll be another one of our Indian superstars.
Lastly, a message for the Indian fans. What can we expect in Superstar Spectacle?
Yeah, my message is this: Thank you guys. Thank you guys so much for everything, all the love, all the passion, all the support. We sold out Hyderabad, and let’s make so much noise that WWE has no choice but to come back sooner, come back every year. Everybody, let’s show WWE that they need to come here more often. Let’s show them so much love, so much passion that they have no choice.
WWE RAW Superstar Jinder Mahal is all set for WWE Superstar Spectacle which will take place at the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium (Gachibowli Indoor Stadium), Hyderabad, India, on Friday, September 8, 2023.
Watch the LIVE coverage of WWE RAW every Tuesday on Sony Sports Ten 1, Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels at 5.30 am IST.
Sony Sports Network is the official broadcaster of WWE in India.
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