This Sunday, SmackDown star Jinder Mahal headlines his first WWE pay-per-view when he challenges Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at Backlash. Ahead of his championship opportunity, the former 3MB member was a guest on Chris Jericho’s popular Talk Is Jericho podcast to discuss his ascension from obscurity to main events. Mahal also spoke at length about his evolving relationship with Vince McMahon, which you can read about below.
Vince McMahon changing his original post-Six Pack Challenge win promo:
“He had rewritten my promo,” Jinder said. “The original promo was something totally different, so when I finished calling the match, one of the writers was like, ‘hey, Vince changed your promo.’ I was like, ‘okay, bring it to me. Please bring it to me.’ So they [broughgt] it to me and I had read the American comment and I was like, ‘ah, I like the old promo better.’ Like, it was like something like, ‘I tried being peaceful, but nobody was listening. But now I have all you guys’, everyone’s, attention. I beat five of SmackDown’s very best and I did it all alone.’
Something like that. It was just like a regular heel promo, but the new one was like, ‘you Americans this and that.’ And I was like, ‘argh, man, I don’t think we should go [there]. Like, but I’m like, ‘but whatever. Vince wrote it. It’s okay.’ But I did it and the reaction I got, I was like, ‘oh man, Vince is a genius!’ He knows exactly what’s going to draw the most heat.”
Originally shying away from Vince McMahon but now having a great relationship with him:
“I’ve become closer with Vince. It was weird, during my first run, and even when I was on 3MB, I would kind of like avoid Vince. Not avoid him, but he’s intimidating. Now, I have like a good relationship with him.”
“It’s weird. He’s like an evil genius. Is there anyone who has watched more [pro] wrestling than Vince McMahon?” Mahal added, “Vince knows what he’s doing.”
H/T Wrestlign Inc. for the transcribed quotes
