WWE star addresses talk that he could be the next Hulk Hogan (Exclusive)
Jinder Mahal was surprised to see Hulk Hogan’s recent claim that he could become a modern-day version of the WWE icon if booked correctly.
Mahal took a picture with Hogan while visiting the two-time Hall of Famer’s bar in Clearwater, Florida, last week. Posting on Instagram, Hogan shared the image and stated in the caption that the former WWE Champion could be “the new generation Hulk Hogan.”
In an interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling’s Riju Dasgupta, Mahal confirmed that he was a big fan of Hogan as a child:
“Absolutely, of course I was a Hulkamaniac! We all were! That moment meant a lot to me. I had no idea he was gonna say that. My friends were in town. He’s a big wrestling fan, my friend, so I took him to Hulk Hogan’s restaurant bar, Hogan’s Hangout. I got my picture with Hulk Hogan.” [1:27-1:46]
Watch the video above to hear Mahal’s thoughts on several WrestleMania 38 topics, including Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns and Steve Austin’s upcoming return.
Jinder Mahal thinks Hulk Hogan is a great role model for WWE stars
Hulk Hogan is widely viewed as one of the greatest superstars in WWE history. The 68-year-old was the company’s marquee attraction between 1983 and 1993, during which time he headlined WrestleMania eight times.
Jinder Mahal went on to describe Hogan as a role model and thanked him for his kind words on social media:
“I really want to start taking more pictures with the wrestlers because in the past I haven’t really. Last week, I took a picture with Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan, so I was very honored that Hulk Hogan had such good things to say about me. [Hogan is] a legend in WWE, such a great role model for all of us, so thank you for the great words, Hulk Hogan.” [1:46-2:13]
Mahal is not currently advertised for WrestleMania 38, but he will feature in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on WrestleMania SmackDown on Friday. The Modern Day Maharaja finished as the runner-up in the annual match at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.
Watch the LIVE coverage of WWE WrestleMania 38 on SONY TEN 1 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), and SONY TEN 4 (Tamil and Telugu) channels on 3rd & 4th April 2022 from 5:30 am (IST).
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