Jinder Mahal has always been a controversial figure in WWE. He has faced criticism for his promos, his presentation, and his 2017 WWE Championship reign.
Jinder Mahal confronted World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins on WWE Raw. The confrontation quickly became a social media frenzy. The situation took an unexpected turn when Tony Khan commented on it. He accused WWE fans of overlooking Mahal being placed in the world title scene despite not winning recently. Many fans and industry critics called his remarks petty and unnecessary.
Mahal defeated Randy Orton at Backlash 2017 to win the WWE Championship. His reign lasted 170 days. Many fans believed he was pushed into the position to tap into the Indian market. His title run was seen as lackluster. He later won the United States title at WrestleMania 34, but his eight-day reign did little to silence critics. He also ended up in several failed storylines and factions.
Despite fan disapproval, there are several reasons to reconsider the narrative around Mahal. Triple H has said Mahal works extremely hard and is intense about his career. He also noted that Mahal is always looking to improve. Mahal has said the negative perception unfairly diminishes his hard work. He pointed out that champions from other countries are not accused of being pushed for similar reasons.
Why Fans Hated Jinder Mahal’s WWE Championship Reign
In 2017, Jinder Mahal shocked the world when he beat Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at Backlash. Just weeks earlier, he was a perennial jobber. He had never been taken seriously by WWE. He was best known for being a member of 3MB. He had never even won a mid-card championship. It was one of the most bizarre booking decisions in WWE history.
In 2017, WWE decided to make a push into the Indian market. India was responsible for huge amounts of WWE’s social media traffic. Ten years earlier, The Great Khali became World Heavyweight Champion. News channels in India gave regular updates on him. He became a huge star. WWE wanted to see if lightning could strike twice.
Jinder Mahal was the only wrestler of Indian descent on the roster. He was born and raised in Canada. He had done very little since returning to WWE in 2016. He was a lower card talent who lost most of his matches. He had no credibility as a main eventer. However, he had one thing going for him: he had gotten himself in incredible shape. He looked like a champion. But he was booked so poorly that nobody cared.
With little build and even less sense, Mahal won the WWE Championship at Backlash 2017. It was an insane decision. A lower card superstar had never won the top prize like this before. It was done with no creativity and no build-up. It was done purely to cash in on the Indian market.
Mahal looked awesome holding the championship. He had new music and a great entrance with a red carpet. That was where it ended. His in-ring work was acceptable but could not match the main event level of other champions. His matches were generally very forgettable.
His promos constantly focused on how big a star he was in India. He did that every single week. His character never evolved. His matches were midcard quality. His promos were generic. His storylines were boring. He feuded with Randy Orton in a forgettable feud. He feuded with Shinsuke Nakamura and adopted a bizarrely racist character. Nothing got over with the crowd.
Jinder Mahal Reveals Vince McMahon Nearly Fired Him
Former WWE star Jinder Mahal, now known as Raj Dhesi, has revealed that he nearly lost his job after accidentally injuring Finn Balor on an episode of Raw. The incident happened just before his move to SmackDown and his WWE Championship win in 2017.
Mahal and Balor were in a singles match on Raw. Mahal gave Balor a forearm while Balor was coming off the ropes. It was a spot they practiced regularly at live events. But this time, Mahal accidentally gave Balor a concussion.
When Mahal returned to gorilla position, Vince McMahon told him he should fire him. Mahal said that could have changed the trajectory of his life. A week later, he moved to SmackDown. A week after that, he became number one contender. A month later, he was WWE Champion. Everything could have ended if McMahon had fired him.
Mahal said he had anxiety for the entire week after the incident. He told Road Dogg that if he was in the doghouse, he would learn to accept it. He was willing to do whatever punishment came his way. He later left WWE and now wrestles on the independent scene.
FAQs
Q. When did Jinder Mahal win the WWE Championship?
A. Mahal won the WWE Championship at Backlash 2017.
Q. Was Jinder Mahal born in India?
A. No. Mahal was born and raised in Canada.
Q. Did Jinder Mahal win another WWE championship?
A. Yes. Mahal won the United States Championship at WrestleMania 34.
Q. Why was Mahal nearly fired by Vince McMahon?
A. Mahal accidentally injured Finn Balor during a Raw match.
Q. What did Triple H say about Jinder Mahal?
A. Triple H said Mahal worked extremely hard and wanted to improve.
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