Jinder Mahal has addressed one of the most persistent criticisms of his WWE Championship reign: the idea that he was simply handed the title to tap into the Indian market.
Speaking on TMZ Inside The Ring, the former champion pushed back on that narrative, arguing that the business opportunity in India had always existed, and that it wasn’t the reason he reached the top.
“I know there’s a common theme that I was given the WWE Championship for India, but that India market was there when I got released, it was there when I was in 3MB, it’s still there to this day,” Mahal said.
For Mahal, the key was the personal transformation that made him worthy of the spot in the first place. “I had to become the champion before I became the champion,” he said, pointing to his physical overhaul, his improved promos, and his newfound confidence. “Had I not had that transformation and that improvement, I wouldn’t have gotten that spot.”
Mahal said that investment in himself, right down to the custom suits he began wearing every week, is the part of his journey he most wants people to understand. “The investment into myself, and just overcoming, that’s the part that I would want to share,” he said.
