Last week during SummerSlam weekend, we had a chance to attend the WWE 2K18 launch party in New York City. SEScoops correspondent Jason Solomon of the popular Solomonster Sounds Off podcast got a chance to speak with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal about whether or not he envisioned being WWE Champion when he returned to the company last year, what led to his drastic transformation, his relationship with Vince McMahon and his longtime friend and NXT Champion Drew McIntyre.
Jinder Mahal has come a long way since his last WWE run. From his run as a member of 3MB to WWE Champion, we asked Mahal if he ever envisioned reaching this level of success.
“Yeah, absolutely, that’s why I’m in this position,” he said. “You don’t become WWE Champion by accident. Ever since returning to WWE that’s been my goal, that’s what I told Vince McMahon right when I came back, I’m going to improve week by week and one day this place is going to be mine, I’m going to have the keys to the kingdom. I’m very fortunate because WWE is a place where they reward hard work. I became number one contender and ultimately WWE Champion. You don’t just become one of the greats, hopefully I can become one of the greats, by accident.”
As WWE Champion, we were curious about his relationship with WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Mahal admits that Vince can be very intimidating, but at the end of the day, he wants everybody to succeed.
“It’s changed drastically. I used to kind of avoid Vince, I was intimidated by him, he is after all a very intimidating guy, but now I have a very good relationship with Vince. He’s actually very cool, he wants to see you succeed. If you succeed, ultimately WWE succeeds, I’m very fortunate that he’s very hands on with me. When I come back from my match, Vince is the first person I come and talk to.”
Jinder Mahal has undergone a drastic physical transformation, be he credits his success to changing his outlook and writing down his goals.
“The most important thing that has changed is my attitude. Mentally, I have changed. I’m just a lot more positive and I know you get back what you put in. I know that if I put in 100%, I get back 100%.”
He continued, “Actually another thing I started to do is write down my goals. As of the new year, I would write down my goals, I kind of messed up, I wrote “Become a WWE Champion” but I did not write “Become WWE Champion.” I aimed kind of low, I was thinking IC Champion or US Champion, but if you put it on paper, I promise you, good things start to happen and you start moving in that direction.”
Finally, we asked about Drew McIntyre’s success in NXT. The former 3MB bandmates are now champions and Mahal thinks the two of them could main event a WrestleMania together one day.
“We’ve both had our ups and downs, he just like myself debuted in WWE at a young age, maybe it was a little too much too soon and we were both released at the same time. We both came back and we both have a huge chip on our shoulder and have something to prove. He’s re-focused just like I am. The sky is the limit for Drew, I know definitely he’s going to his this [WWE] championship, hopefully it’s the Universal Championship. A funny story, Drew the other day was going for an alligator tour in Florida and I texted him saying, ‘Hey man, be careful, we have a WrestleMania to main event one day.’ True story.”
Check out the full video below, which also includes interviews with RAW General Manager Kurt Angle, Braun Strowman, former NXT Champion Bobby Roode, former RAW Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss and Bayley.
