WWE Champion Jinder Mahal took part in an interview with Al Arabiya English before his WWE Championship match against Shinsuke Nakamura at last Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Here are the highlights:
Coming back even better to WWE:
“I had mixed feelings about my release. Obviously I was very sad and disappointed because it was my goal to be a WWE Superstar my whole life and not only that, a WWE champion. I felt like I had let myself down. I was a disappointment to myself, I felt like I didn’t give it 100 percent. But also at the same time, I was kind of unhappy at the moment in 3MB. I wasn’t progressing the way I felt I should be, which was ultimately my fault because I wasn’t putting in the work. In order to succeed in WWE, you’re responsible. If you put in 100 percent, you get back 100 percent, a lot of it is mental, just my mental attitude has changed, I have a very positive outlook, I set goals for myself and I write down my goals. I read a lot of self-help books, I listen to a lot of podcasts and just thinking positive, positive things are starting to happen in my life. I’m a firm believer that you get back what you put in.”
Insight into his relationship with Vince McMahon:
“My relationship with Vince is great. He’s actually the first person I talk to after any match or any promo, whereas before, my relationship with Vince wasn’t that great because I would just avoid him. Obviously Vince is very intimidating, but once you get to know him, he’s very friendly and very helpful, he wants to help you. He wants to see you succeed, because when you succeed, WWE succeeds. It’s his baby, it’s his business, it’s his brainchild and he wishes nothing but the best for it. I see a lot of change, characters in WWE are constantly evolving. I want to add more depth and layers to my character, maybe show a little more of my real personality. I’m kind of a funny guy, I’m fun to be around, but sometimes my character is very serious. I still have that side to show; you saw a little of that with 3MB, but I think we can find more balance between the two. I just turned 31 so I feel I haven’t even hit my prime yet.”
