WWE News: Jinder Mahal happy to help WWE to expand into the Indian market
What’s the story?
Jinder Mahal’s climb to the top has been the story of the year in WWE so far. Mahal shocked the world when he became the WWE Champion in May this year. Many are still speculating the reasons as to why the Modern Day Maharaja has been catapulted to the apex of Smackdown Live.
The most popular explanation is that the WWE is trying to tap into the Indian market and Mahal is viewed as a tool who could help them achieve the same. In a recent interview with India Today, Mahal offered his view on the popular belief.
In case you didn’t know...
Jinder Mahal captured the WWE Championship after triumphing over Randy Orton at this year’s Backlash PPV. This came as a surprise to many as Mahal wasn’t pushed at all before his championship pursuit and was assigned mere jobbing roles.
Mahal defended the championship against The Viper at Money in the Bank and emerged victorious, but Shane McMahon granted Orton another match at Battleground.
The heart of the matter
When Mahal was asked to opine on the coincidence of his meteoric rise with WWE’s increasing interest in the Indian market, he said:
“WWE sees India as huge opportunity and wants to continue to build its base. Personally, I am hoping being champion will increase the WWE Universe in India because I know that Indian fans are really passionate and I want to be WWE Champion in India.”
Mahal also confirmed that WWE is planning to tour India soon but a date hasn’t been fixed yet, “There is no date confirmed yet, but WWE is working very hard at the moment to conserve a date. I am personally very excited to come to India.”
In addition to this, Mahal thanked his fans for all the support and urged them to watch the Punjabi Prison match on 23rd July.
What’s next?
Jinder Mahal will defend the WWE Championship at the upcoming Battleground PPV against Randy Orton inside a Punjabi Prison. This will be the third Punjabi Prison match in WWE’s history.
Author’s Take
I believe that Jinder Mahal has done a decent job till now carrying the WWE Championship and comes off as a natural heel. His character is intense but quite unoriginal, and he has been able to garner immense heat from the WWE Universe.
I strongly feel that WWE will be able to expand its Indian fan base exponentially if they tour in the near future with Mahal as their top champion.