Jinder Mahal believes 3MB is special because of the success all three members of the group achieved after being a part of the faction.
The Modern Day Maharaja recently had an interview with Straight Talk Wrestling. He talked about things such as his WWE Championship win, why representation is important in wrestling and more.
During the talk, Mahal was asked about the popularity of 3MB. The former champion explained that the group is more over now than it was during its run. According to Jinder, what makes it special is the things they were able to do after 3MB:
“I think we’re more over now, like in people’s memory, than we were at that time. And I think what really makes it special is what we did after 3MB. Heath Slater with the Tag Team Championship with Rhino and the kids, and the getting a job—amazing, very memorable stuff.
Drew McIntyre, obviously, one of the best professional wrestlers on Earth, not only in WWE but on planet Earth. And then myself, winning the WWE Championship, United States Championship, 24/7 Championship.”
3MB featuring Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre, and Jinder Mahal was formed back in September 2012. While they lost the majority of their matches, the faction was featured regularly on TV and they participated in many memorable segments during their time together.
Mahal explained that people did not expect anything from them when they were put together. The trio, however, took the whole thing as a motivation to do better:
“So, I think just the success that we had after 3MB, when really nothing was expected from us, and we made a point to work hard and succeed. We weren’t going to look at this as a demotion or something. If anything, it was to motivate us, to take us to the next level, and that’s what we all did.”
3MB stayed together until April 2014 when both Mahal and McIntyre were released from their contracts. Jinder Mahal was brought back a couple of years later in July 2016 while Drew McIntyre rejoined the company in April 2017.
WWE has been under scrutiny recently due to a lack of representation for African American wrestlers in the company’s PLEs, and now Jinder Mahal has spoken up about similar treatment for South Asian talent.
The former WWE Champion who now goes by the name Raj Dhesi recently responded to the reports about representation on Twitter.
Mahal noted that despite the huge population of the region, there is currently only one South Asian talent signed to the promotion. He explained that talents from other sports can become stars if given the opportunity to be themselves:
There is only one South Asian currently in WWE (@SunnyDhinsa). With over 2 Billion population, 1/4 people in the world are South Asian. Not a single talent in NXT/Performance Center. This is an issue.
The former champion is not the only one who has spoken up about this issue recently. Former WWE star Sanga had previously criticized the company for wanting the viewership from India but not giving any representation to talents from the country.
The debate about lack of people to sign doesn’t work when Indian talents have shown their abilities on the international stage many times. Indian wrestlers have won at least one medal in the last 5 summer Olympics.
Names such as Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Aman Sehrawat are proving every day that talents from the region can make it big when given an opportunity.
This is not even counting someone like Vinesh Phogat who unfortunately missed her chance at a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics after being disqualified due to being above the stipulated weight on the day of the finals.
The unforeseen events led to many veteran wrestlers speaking up in support of Phogat. Prior to that, she had ended the incredible 82-0 international winning streak of Japan’s Yui Susaki in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Editor’s Note
Forced inclusivity at the top at the cost of someone more deserving is never the goal of these talks. Mahal is not saying that people should be forced into the position because of their background. The question that we ask is how are talents supposed to reach that level without a fair opportunity to showcase their potential.
With the general lack of resources for people in these parts of the world, its industry leaders like WWE who have to step up to provide a chance to talents from all backgrounds to truly become global in every sense of the word.
Raj Dhesi (formerly Jinder Mahal in WWE) doesn’t agree with the critics who believe that WWE missed an opportunity with the wrestler.
In a TikTok video clip, the former WWE Champion reacted to a fan who said WWE “dropped the ball” on him. He explained that during his 12-year career with WWE, he was able to make the most of the opportunities. He also got to travel the world, build valuable relationships, become financially independent, and have multiple in-ring achievements.
During his time in the company, he held the WWE Championship once and won the United States Championship at WrestleMania. ‘The Modern Day Maharaja’ said that he had a great time in WWE and thanked his fans for their support. Now, he is eyeing to make a mark on the indie circuit. He said:
“So I see this comment a lot and I wanna kinda share my opinion on it. ‘WWE dropped the ball on me’ – I would say that’s not true.
“Had a very long career, 12 years in WWE. WWE Champion, won the United States Championship at WrestleMania, made a great living, really set myself up for the future, for the rest of my life. Given me a sense of financial independence where now I can just do whatever I wanna do. Freedom, flexibility, got to travel the world, build amazing relationships, a lot of good memories. And it’s gonna continue now on the independents, just doing things my way.
So WWE did not drop the ball, I had a great career, a great time, and, yeah, thank you for all the fans tuning in for all these years.”
Jinder Mahal on people who say WWE dropped the ball on him:
"I would say that's not true. I Had a very long career. 12 years in WWE. WWE Champion, Why the United States championship at WrestleMania.
Dhesi will make his in-ring debut for GCW next month. The promotion announced that Dhesi will face Effy in a singles match on August 2 at GCW Now and Forever event in Cleveland, Ohio. “The Maharaja” has also revealed the tour dates for his ‘Unhindered Tour.’ He is scheduled to make a handful of appearances in several locations across North America. Check out the schedule below.
Raj Dhesi (formerly Jinder Mahal in WWE) is set to make his in-ring debut for GCW next month. On Sunday, GCW announced that Dhesi will face Effy in a singles match on August 2 at the promotion’s Now and Forever event in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mahal was let go from WWE back in April and he spoke about his release in detail. Following his release, several promotions were reportedly eager to work with him and the list included GCW.
Dhesi entered the ring wearing a mask and attacked Effy. He performed his finisher Khallas before unmasking himself.
Dhesi recently said that he would raise GCW to his standards and become their champion. He also bashed GCW General Manager Matt Cardona for doing a terrible job in his role.
“The Maharaja” Raj Dhesi has revealed the tour dates for his ‘Unhindered Tour.’ The former World Champion will be making appearances in various locations across North America.
Ex-WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal wasted no time in making an impact after his non-compete clause expired when he showed up in Game Change Wrestling. At last night’s GCW So High event, Effy was attacked from behind by a masked figure who hit him with the Khallas. This attacker was revealed to be Mahal, who is now working as Rah Dhesi.
Mahal’s debut for Game Changer Wrestling comes shortly after his 90-day mon compete clause with WWE expired. The former World Champion was one of seven ex-Superstars who entered free agency this week and on Twitter, he made clear he can work and sign anywhere he chooses.
It’s hardly a surprise that Mahal has made an impact in wrestling so soon after his non-compete clause with WWE expired. After his release, promotions were said to be heavily interested in the Modern-Day Maharajah and GCW was ‘foaming at the mouth’ to work with him.
Seven former Superstars are free agents 90 days after their WWE releases in April 2024. We’ll be following their next moves here at SEScoops, so you can follow their careers wherever they wind up next.
Here are the WWE Superstars that are now free to work anywhere:
Jinder Mahal
Now going by Rah Dhesi, the former WWE Champion is the most high-profile name among this crop of wrestlers to enter the free agency market. Dhesi will make his debut for Black Label Pro Wrestling at their upcoming event on July 26.
Fans waited long enough for Veer Mahaan to arrive on Monday Night Raw, but that didn’t stop the wrestler and former baseball player from being released. His final match saw was as part of the 2024 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in which he was eliminated by the Creed Brothers.
Sanga
The final member of Indus Sher, Sanga was part of Ring Ka King (An india-based brand of TNA Wrestling) before coming to WWE in 2018. His final match was also the 2024 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal where he was also thrown out by the Creeds.
Cameron Grimes
The former NXT North American Champion has plenty of pre-WWE homes, including Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, OMEGA Wrestling, and TNA Wrestling. It’s in the latter promotion where Grimes held the X-Division Championship three times and is a former TNA World Tag Team Champion.
Xia Li
Despite a high-profile feud with Becky Lynch in 2023, Li was among those released in April. On August 3, Li will make her MMA for the Combat Night promotion. The ex-Superstar who is trained in wushu will face Xiomara Lee in Kissimmee, FL.
A former Rugby player who signed with WWE in 2018, Quinn had to wait until 2020 before he made his debut. Despite an impressive build, the Australian’s final match for WWE saw him squashed by Bron Breakker in mere seconds on an episode of SmackDown.
Despite being poised as one to watch when NXT 2.0 launched, Von Wagner’s tenure in WWE NXT ended this past April without any title gold to his name. Wagner is the son of WWE alum Beau Beverly and Von’s final match saw him lose to Lexis King.
Former WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal recently sat down with Chris Van Vliet to reflect on his journey in wrestling and his release earlier this year. Mahal held the WWE, United States, and 24/7 Championships before being cut.
Thoughts On WWE
This year marked the second time in a decade that Mahal, now working under the name Rah Dhesi, has been released from WWE. Despite this unfortunate statistic, the Canadian wrestler bears no ill will to his former employer.
Mahal: “There’s no hostility, there’s no negative feelings at all with WWE. I’m very grateful for them for all the years and the platform they provided me.”
On The Release
Mahal was let go from WWE along with the rest of Indus Sher after the group had worked on Monday Night RAW and in WWE NXT. Mahal recalled WWE keeping the group away from important personal events, only to be left on the sidelines.
Mahal: “A few months prior (to being released) Veer had a religious event that he holds, it was the one-year anniversary of his father’s death. He got told that no, we’re needed for RAW, you can’t go back home… Sure enough, that week we weren’t booked, we were sitting at home.
“They were quite frustrated. And also myself, started off the year with The Rock and had the WWE championship match. Then one week later, I’m not in the Royal Rumble. Which was I thought it was very weird. So we talked to TR, we just said, Hey, listen, like, if there’s nothing for us, we can go our separate ways. And sure enough, a few months later, we went our separate ways.”
When asked if he requested his release, Mahal made clear that he didn’t but that at the time was open to the two sides going their separate ways.
On Fan Support After He Was Released
While being released is rarely fun, Mahal was met with a whirlwind of fan support and interest from independent promotions shortly after his release. This wave of momentum didn’t go unnoticed by the former World Champion.
Mahal: “I generally get a lot of hate online. But it was one of those rare instances where I got to show my real personality, actually, this happens to me all the time. I meet people and they’re like, wow, like you’re not what we expect. [They say] you’re nice, maybe it’s the Canadian in me. Always respectful, polite, and the Jinder Mahal character was the complete opposite of me.”
On Drew McIntyre
Mahal isn’t the only 3MB alum to reach the pinnacle of WWE as Drew McIntyre is also a former WWE Champion after capturing the gold at WrestleMania 36. While Mahal is happy to remind fans that he was the first 3MB member to taste WWE World Championship gold, he’s pleased to see McIntyre be a main event talent on Monday Night RAW.
Mahal: “I became WWE Champion before Drew McIntyre, don’t you forget that [laughs]. Drew’s the man. What Drew is doing right now is incredible. This is the best version of Drew. Drew’s the man. He’s like a brother to me and to see him in this position.
“He just signed a new contract so he’ll be there for a few more years. Something about a man like he is incredible. He’s having fun. I just don’t think he cares anymore and that’s usually when the best comes out. Like CM Punk, he doesn’t care about anything and that’s why he’s the best.”
On Being in The Punjabi Prison Match
In 2017, during his reign as WWE Champion, Mahal faced Randy Orton in the third Punjabi Prison match. While Mahal would win the match (with a timely assist from the Great Khali,) it’s not a match that the Modern-Day Maharaja enjoyed.
Mahal: “The Punjabi prison match sucks. It’s terrible. [In what way?] It’s so hard. The inside cage is the blue old-school cage. You can hit it as hard as possible and it won’t even make a noise. It was terrible. And then just the crowd reaction they couldn’t really see the people in the arena, there’s two cages so when we’re on the inside, there’s two cages they couldn’t really see. And it was just painful. Kendo sticks, chair shots, everything.”
On Not Working With Brock Lesnar
Later on that year, Mahal (still the WWE Champion) was poised to face RAW’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series. Mere days before the show, Mahal lost his title to AJ Styles who’d lose to the Beast at the PLE. Despite rumors of Lesnar refusing to work with him, Mahal doubts that’s the case.
Mahal: “The headline came out, ‘Brock Lesnar refused to work with Jinder.’ I don’t think he refused. I just think it was he probably pitched for a match with AJ because stylistically, it is a much better match. Me and Brock are both heels. Who’s gonna put heat on who? It was gonna be a flat match. It would have just been him suplexing me a bunch of times, maybe Singh Bros get involved. But the match he had with AJ was phenomenal.”
“I had it [the WWE Championship] for six months and I didn’t know that I was losing the championship until the day of. We were in Manchester and we have the title match. We get to the building. Michael Hayes tells me and AJ go talk to Vince, and send us to Vince’s office, Vince tells me you’re dropping the championship.”
Perhaps the biggest name from the most recent wave of WWE releases was Jinder Mahal. After all, The Modern Day Maharaja is a former WWE Champion who earlier this year has a confrontation on Raw with The Rock.
This isn’t the first time Mahal has been released by WWE and, if history has taught us anything, it may well not be the last. Indeed, for as polarizing as Mahal has been, particularly in his second WWE tenure, the one point fans must have consensus on is that he’s had one of the bizarre WWE career trajectories of all-time.
Mid-Card Act
The early stages of Jinder Mahal’s WWE career saw him work as a quintessential mid-card heel. Sure, he had moments, like debuting in high profile fashion opposite The Great Khali and enjoying an NXT winning streak. For the most part, though, Mahal was lost in the shuffle, not a jobber, but never making much progress on the roster either.
There are those perennial mid-card acts whom fans know are capable of much more. Indeed, the 2019 KofiMania run was predicated on Kofi Kingston being such a talented and well-respected performer that fans were itching to cheer him all the way to winning a world title at WrestleMania when his chance arrived. Mahal, however, seemed to find his spot in the WWE Universe as a reasonable talent who got some air time, but hardly anyone exactly clamored for more of.
3MB and First Release
While Jinder Mahal didn’t exactly seem main event bound in the early stages of his WWE career, it seemed as though WWE abandoned all hope in him when he was assigned to the 3MB faction.
As a One-Man Band, Heath Slater charismatically thrived—losing more than he won, but nonetheless earning a warm response from the WWE audience as a comedic heel. Drew McIntyre felt out of the place with the group for having too much talent and too much of a serious edge to belong in this kind of role.
Playing a supporting role to a mid-card act was a fair fit for Mahal’s limited skills, but he nonetheless never seemed all that at home in this faction either, and it wasn’t exactly a shock when WWE released him.
Return and WWE Title Reign
Jinder Mahal (Photo credit: WWE.com)
After two years away, Jinder Mahal returned to WWE. While his in-ring abilities and mic game hadn’t shown much progress, it is a credit to The Modern Day Maharaja that he’d amassed an impressive physique—jacked and ripped in ways he’d never appeared in his first WWE run.
Mahal returned to a mid-card role player spot, but in spring 2017, the most unlikely turn of all occurred. Mahal took the WWE Championship off Randy Orton. He’d go on to reign for the half the year, including beating back challenges from Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura before even surviving a Money in the Bank cash-in by Baron Corbin. Along the way, there’s a case to be made Mahal even came along on the mic a bit, though the poor quality of his matches remained the defining characteristic of the title reign.
Then, just as suddenly as the title reign had begun, it came to an end on an episode of SmackDown, pretaped from Manchester. AJ Styles immediately reinstated a degree of credibility to the title, then he soundly defeated Mahal when he got his rematch.
Vanishing Act and Second Release
Jinder Mahal’s release, return, and mercurial rise were followed by a steep fall from grace. Though he won the United States Championship at WrestleMania 34, that would end up being about his last moment in the sun. He’d drop the title to Jeff Hardy in short order then be on and off TV for extended stretches. A program with his former stablemate Drew McIntyre marked another peak, though by 2021, it was difficult to take The Maharaja that seriously against a main eventer.
Mahal transitioned, in part, to a managerial role, backing Veer and Sanga. This may have been the best role for Mahal, where he could cash in on his heat and improved promo skills without having to get in the ring. This team struggled to stay relevant, though.
Mahal showed up to some fanfare on the first Raw of 2024, first seeming to be the returning former world champion Triple H had touted making an appearance on that episode. The Rock arrived moments later, and a confrontation between the two was easily The Maharaja’s biggest moment in the last five years of his WWE career. Unfortunately for him, it would also be his last big moment in WWE.
Jinder Mahal’s WWE Legacy
(via WWE)
Jinder Mahal left WWE with one of the most unusual legacies of all time. He was a world champion and had a pocket of supporters. He also spent extended stretches of his career in the lower card or off TV altogether. Moreover, he had a lot of heat on him. Some of that owed to his talents as a heel. There was also a great deal resentment from fans, though, for the main event push he garnered while so many talents like Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Rusev never got that kind of opportunity, despite, by most metrics, having considerably more upside.
Mahal’s colleagues speak highly of him, though, which may be the best testament to why he got the big breaks he did. Moreover, it’s hard not to feel poorly for a star who reached his heights and then saw his career fall off so severely.
WWE let Jinder Mahal go in April 2024. As a former world champion and memorable character, there’s every possibility fans will see him go into the WWE Hall of Fame someday. Heck, if history is any indicator, no one should count him out, either, for another big run in the WWE ring in the next few years.
Jinder Mahal won’t let his release from WWE prevent him from achieving his goals in the ring and will be competing under a new name.
Mahal was among those released by WWE earlier this month as part of the first wave of cuts under the promotion’s new era. The former WWE & United States Champion was previously released from the company in 2014 but returned two years later.
Mahal will have to wait for his non-compete clause to expire in July before he works elsewhere, but the Modern-Day Maharaja has already been making plans. Mahal recently trademarked the term ‘The Maharaja’ for its use on merchandise as well as the name ‘Raj Dhesi.’ It seems the Dhesi name will be what Mahal competes under going forward. These filings were made under Mahal’s real name Yuvraj Dhesi.
GCW could certainly do with Mahal being a top heel in their company to replace the injured Matt Cardona. Whether Mahal goes to GCW or somewhere else, expect to see plenty more of Raj Dhesi when his non-compete clause with WWE is a thing of the past.
More from Jinder Mahal
Here are some recent articles about Jinder Mahal as the former WWE Superstar prepares to be a free agent once again:
Jinder Mahal has revealed the lengths WWE Creative went to keep his segment with The Rock a surprise and when he actually found out that he was working with The Great One.
Officials had announced the return of a ‘former WWE Champion’ for the Day 1 episode of Raw. The segment was planned for the Hollywood star, but the Maharaja came out first to swerve the audience. This created even more excitement for The Rock when he came out and delivered a people’s elbow to Mahal after a verbal exchange.
The 37-year-old spoke to Chris Van Vliet over the WrestleMania 40 weekend. In the interview that was released on April 23, Mahal was asked if he ever thought he was intended to be the announced former WWE champion for Day 1.
Jinder explained that he pieced together the fact that he was going to be involved in the segment somehow after the travel department messaged him personally instead of their group chat with Indus Sher:
“So I put it together, I kind of pieced it together. I got a text from creative ‘Hey, you guys have nothing this week.’ And then actually travel text says ‘Hey you guys are not flying out.’ I’m in a group chat with Indus Sher with our travel department.
Then 20 minutes later I get a separate text saying, ‘Actually, you are going’ I thought it was a little weird that it was just me and not Indus Sher but I didn’t think anything of it.
Then like a few hours later, I see the announcement on Twitter – Former WWE champion returns. I knew it wasn’t gonna be me but I figured like I’m going to be a part of it. So I texted Indus Sher ‘Hey, are you guys going to Raw?’ They said, ‘No.’ Alright, it’s just me going.”
The Segment With The Rock
Jinder Mahal revealed that the creative plans were not relayed to him even after this. He found out about the segment with The Rock only a couple of days before the show:
“So I’m like, ‘okay, good chance. I think it’s me.’ And actually it was Christmas week. I was with my family in Calgary. I flew back I think on the 30th. Yeah, I was flying back on the 30th. When I was in my flight, I got a text from one of the writers ‘Hey, can you talk on the phone?’
I said ‘I’m in the plane for a few more hours when it lands I’ll call you.’ When I landed just one of the writers he said ‘Yeah, so we got you in a segment….with the Rock.’ They’re like ‘Kayfabe.’ I said ‘Yes. Yes. 100%. Looking forward to it.’ So that’s how I found out. I found out two days before.”
The segment led to a prolonged buzz for Jinder Mahal. He was put in a world heavyweight championship match with Seth Rollins right after it. Many people came to his defense when Tony Khan decided to name-drop him on Twitter to defend his booking of AEW star Hook.
Mahal unfortunately has been released from his WWE contract since then and the former champion is currently waiting for his non-compete clause to expire.
Jinder Mahal’s release from WWE could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the former World Champion as he’s already garnered significant interest.
Mahal was part of the first wave of releases in WWE’s new era. Other names cut include Xia Li, Veer Mahaan, Sanga, Xyon Quinn, and Von Wagner. This exit marks Mahal’s second release from WWE as he was previously cut from the promotion in 2014.
While Mahal’s days in WWE are over, it appears that he won’t struggle to find work elsewhere. Fightful Select reports that Mahal has already received “heavy interest” from promotions eager to work with him now that he is a free agent. Game Changer Wrestling is said to be “foaming at the mouth” to bring him in when his 90-day non-compete clause expires this July. The report adds that eagerness to work with Mahal could be partly down to Matt Cardona being out of action and GCW needing a new heel for its roster.
It’s promising for Mahal that companies are already interested in working with him given how his second WWE run ultimately fizzled out. Upon announcing his exit from WWE, Mahal declared that he’d ‘quit’ the promotion, leaving fans to believe that there were some underlying issues between the two sides. Talent in WWE are said to have liked Mahal and believe that he wasn’t given a fair go at things considering he did everything the company asked of him.
WWE Releases
Here are some more recent articles about wrestlers who were released from WWE and what they have had to say:
The WWE roster will miss Jinder Mahal and Xia Li and many believe that the two were not given fair opportunities on the main roster.
Mahal and Li were released from WWE in the first wave of talent cuts in this ‘new era.’ Veer Mahaan, Sanga, and Xyon Quinn were also let go. The talent will have to wait out 90-day non-compete clauses before they can take bookings elsewhere.
Mahal’s release was something of a surprise given that 2024 started for him with a segment with The Rock and a high-profile feud with then-World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. A handful of talent believe that when it comes to his work with The Rock, Mahal nailed his side of things only for WWE to never follow up with anything substantial for him, PW Insider reports. Perhaps that is why Mahal gave a curt announcement regarding his release, stating that he’d quit WWE.
Mahal’s early 2024 also saw him ‘feud’ with AEW President Tony Khan, who had some choice words regarding Mahal’s World Heavyweight Championship push. The running joke amongst some WWE talent is that Mahal will be feuding with Khan on AEW Dynamite during this summer.
For Xia Li, there is a feeling that she suffered because of her stop-start pushes on the main roster. Li, the first Chinese female Superstar, was called up to the main roster in 2021 though arguably didn’t have her first actual storyline until two years later.
Given how infrequently she had been used, Li’s 2023 feud with Becky Lynch met a cool response from fans as audiences didn’t believe Li would get the better of one of wrestling’s biggest stars. Talent also believe that Li being introduced in the Vince McMahon era did not help her chances either.
Li and Mahal were said to be extremely well-liked within WWE, as demonstrated by the positive messages from the remaining talent. It’s never easy to lose a job, especially one from the biggest professional wrestling promotion in the world, and now Mahal, Li, and the rest will have to forge the next chapter of their careers outside of WWE.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful then provided an update and noted that alongside Mahal, Xyon Quinn and Xia Li have also been let go by the company. You can check out the updated list of talents released in April 2024 below:
Jinder Mahal
Xyon Quinn
Xia Li
Veer Mahaan
Sanga
This is the latest WWE shake-up to take place. In the past month, the company has parted ways with major behind-the-scenes names such as Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, Dan Ventrelle and Senior Vice President of Athlete ID & Development Trent Wilfinger.
The release of longtime WWE Director of Community Relations and Hall of Famer Sue Aitchison raised a lot of eyebrows and Artist Rob Schamberger also confirmed his departure from the promotion earlier this week.
Wrestling World Reacts To April 2024 WWE Releases
Veer Mahaan took on his Twitter to write a message in Hindi after the news of his release became public knowledge. His tweet translates to: “When it comes to the honor and respect of Indians, sacrifice comes first. Good Bye WWE”
बात जब हम भारतवासियों के मान सम्मान पे आ जाए तो त्याग सबसे पहले। Good Bye WWE 🙏🏾
Xia Li posted a statement on Twitter thanking Triple H and everyone else who helped her through this run. She said that it’s not the end but a new beginning. Kairi Sane who is a close friend of Xia was among the people who reacted to her post:
This is the second time Jinder Mahal has been released by WWE after his initial release in 2014. He returned to the company in 2016 leading to his WWE Championship reign in 2017. He returned to NXT for a run most recently as well.
Xia Li was signed by the company in 2017 after a tryout in China. She became the first Chinese woman to compete in a WWE ring when she entered the 2018 Mae Young Classic tournament. After an NXT stint she made her main roster debut in 2021.
Xyon Quinn had a somewhat similar WWE experience. He signed a development contract with NXT in 2018. Quinn made his on-screen debut for the company during a SmackDown episode in April 2020 losing to Sheamus in a singles match.
He continued his stint with NXT despite multiple main roster appearances. He was declared a free agent during the 2023 Drafts and made occasional appearances on both of WWE’s premiere shows.
Mahal noted on his Twitter bio that the standard 90 days non compete clause applies to his release and the same should be true for the other departures as well.
Considering the backstage shakeups preceding the latest set of WWE releases, more names leaving the roster can emerge in the next few hours. You can stay tuned to SEScoops for any updates.
Earlier this year, Tony Khan forgot that a former WWE Champion is always in line for a title shot, at least according to Raw Superstar Jinder Mahal.
In January of this year, Mahal entered a feud with Seth Rollins which saw the pair headline Raw in a World Heavyweight Championship match. While Rollins would retain, the injury he suffered during the match has kept the Architect out of action ever since.
Tony Khan’s Beef with Jinder Mahal
In the days running up to the match, AEW President Tony Khan gave a barrage of angry posts about the booking of Mahal. Khan’s issue was that Mahal hadn’t won many matches in the run-up to the title match. The AEW President did not take kindly to fans questioning the booking of certain stars on his roster who had been similarly thrust into title opportunities.
Jinder Mahal on Tony Khan
Khan’s outburst against Mahal made the former WWE Champion the talk of the wrestling world over a handful of says. Speaking to The Gorilla Position, Mahal was asked for his thoughts on the AEW President.
“I think Tony Khan is forgetting I’m the Modern Day Maharaja, former WWE Champion, and being a former WWE Champion, I should be number one contender anytime I want. The Royal Rumble happened a week after that.If you notice, I wasn’t in it because I didn’t feel there was a need.
“The Modern Day Maharaja wants a title match, he can just get one. It’s okay. Overall, it’s great. It caused a lot of buzz, and I appreciate the competition because it makes everybody better.”
What Came Next?
After his defeat to Rollins, Mahal has resumed his position on WWE’s totem pole. He has not competed on Raw since the loss. He has traded wins with Ricochet at live events and his only TV appearance over the past month was on an episode of WWE Main Event earlier this month.
AEW superstar Hook recently took a shot back at WWE star Jinder Mahal ahead of the biggest match of his career.
Recently, AEW President Tony Khan attacked WWE for booking Jinder Mahal in a World Heavyweight Championship match on Raw. Khan argued that Mahal’s dismal win/loss record means he shouldn’t be competing for the title. Fans reacted negatively to this, citing Abadon’s abrupt push in the TBS title picture and Hook’s push in the AEW World Championship picture.
Tony Khan was enraged after seeing a tweet from the USA Network that made no mention of either Khan or AEW. The aforementioned post was a reaction to Raj Giri’s Tweet about the NXT Championship bout between Mahal and Rollins in 2012. The USA Network questioned about the Cagematch rating for the match which Khan took as a dig at him.
Tony Khan made an argument in that post that Hook, who has a 28-1 record, is also deserving of a World Title shot.
A double standard:@730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage
Jinder has literally lost every single match he's in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage#AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
FTW Champion Hook, who is inactive on social media, has responded to Jinder Mahal in a new promo hyping his AEW World Championship match against Samoa Joe on Dynamite this week.
In the video clip, the 24-year-old addressed the pressure that comes with the title match against Joe. He also questioned his own identity which is apparently a dig at Jinder Mahal.
“So who’s the pressure on tomorrow? I mean, is there really anything that I have to lose?
And also (bites into a slice of pizza), I’m not big enough to compete with Samoa Joe. Eh, but I am getting some calories right now (holds up pizza), so who knows.
Then again, who the f**k am I anyway?
24 hours Joe, I’m coming for that world title.”Sa
HOOK, 24-Hours before challenging for the #AEW World Championship
This will mark Samoa Joe’s first AEW World title defense after winning the title at AEW Worlds End pay-per-view and we will have to see how this match pans out.
The match saw plenty of creative add-ons that made a title change look possible, with Indus Sher providing backup for Mahal. Mr. Money in the Bank Damian Priest would also make his presence felt at ringside but was neutralized by Drew McIntyre.
Jinder Mahal Reacts
Mahal didn’t shock the world for the second time on this week’s Raw, and was left with some buyer’s remorse after the match. On Twitter, Mahal regretted ordering a ton of pyro for his championship celebration.
Welp, so much for sending that extra Pyro for my Punjabi Celebration…
Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins may have left Raw as the World Heavyweight Champion, but the Visionary was left worse for wear by the end of the show.
In the main event, Rollins retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Jinder Mahal in a hard-fought match for both men. The bout had one of the biggest ‘big fight feels’ fans have seen in some time, thanks in part to Tony Khan’s recent outburst.
The match saw plenty of creative add-ons that made a title change look possible, with Indus Sher providing backup for Mahal. Mr. Money in the Bank Damian Priest would also make his presence felt at ringside but was neutralized by Drew McIntyre.
Amid all that was happening, Rollins was able to put Mahal away with a stomp, keeping his impressive World Heavyweight Championship reign alive. Rollins was seen favoring his knee during the match, which wasn’t just for the storyline.
Multiple sources backstage at Raw informed PWTorch that Rollins was helped in the back and eventually put weight on it, Rollins was said to be walking on his own but with a “definite limp.”
The champion will be further evaluated to determine the severity of the injury. The reigning World Heavyweight Champion looked notably worried as Raw ended and stood on one leg when presented with his title by the referee.
When Did Rollins Get Hurt?
It’s unclear when exactly the injury happened, but Rollins began favoring his leg after a dive to ringside. Further damage may have been done by Rollins using the Pedigree and the Stomp during the match.
WWE has not commented publicly on his situation at this time, but we’ll provide an update when more details became available.
Seth Rollins won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia. He went on to carry that title for 234 days, until he met Jinder Mahal in Little Rock, Arkansas on RAW for a much-hyped title match.
Seth Rollins vs Jinder Mahal
Jinder Mahal gained a lot of attention since stepping up to Seth Rollins for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The Modern Day Maharaja was after the title to reclaim a top spot in WWE.
Is this @JinderMahal's night to become WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION?
This match was significant as well, because it revisited history. Seth Rollins vs Jinder Mahal was the match to decide the first-ever NXT Champion, a contest that Rollins won in 2012. They did not bring this match up on commentary, because it ended in the same way.
Indus Sher, Veer and Sanga, accompanied Jinder Mahal to the ring for his match, and they made their presence felt early in the match as they distracted Rollins. This allowed Mahal to start the match off with an advantage.
The match continued for a bit, and then Damian Priest emerged from the back, with his Money in the Bank briefcase in tow, right before they cut to commercial. Eventually, Drew McIntyre interrupted Priest from cashing in, and they brawled away. Those two will battle on RAW next week on January 22nd in New Orleans during the go-home RAW before the Royal Rumble.
In the end, Indus Sher were ejected from ringside after Mahal nearly cheated to win the match. Seth Rollins then retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after nailing a Stomp. That is the same move that put Mahal away 12 years ago in NXT.
What’s Next For Seth Rollins
WWE kicked off the year with a World Heavyweight Championship contest during the Day 1 episode of RAW. For that match, Drew McIntyre’s bid for the title fell short. Defeating the Modern Day Maharaja marks Rollins’ second successful title defense this year.
Seth Rollins is not presently booked to defend his title at the Royal Rumble. After beating Mahal this week in Little Rock, we will have to see if Rollins will defend his title at Tropicana Field.
Tony Khan’s outburst all began in response to a tweet from the USA Network that did not refer to Khan or AEW. The tweet in question was a response to Raj Giri, who brought up the fact that Mahal and Rollins faced off in 2012 over the NXT Championship. The USA Network asked about the Cagematch rating for the match which Khan took as a dig at him.
Now, the USA Network is back to getting involved with WWE’s storylines. This week, Zelina Vega tweeted about not getting opportunities on SmackDown, and told Nick Aldis that RAW General Manager Adam Pearce never had any trouble believing in her. This earned a response from Raw’s broadcast partners at the USA Network, who made it clear they’ve always been impressed by Vega’s work.
You’ve already proven it to us and the @WWE Universe. Should be the easiest decision SmackDown makes. You deserve this opportunity
One All Elite Wrestling star is hoping to see less tribalism among wrestling fans, following the recent furor over the booking of Jinder Mahal.
On this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw, Mahal confronted World Heavyweight Champion Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins. After a verbal back-and-forth, the pair brawled. It was later confirmed that a title match would take place between the pair on next week’s episode of the Red brand.
Now, AEW star Dustin Rhodes has weighed into the matter. While not addressing Khan’s comments of the various responses, Rhodes asked for fans to just enjoy wrestling, and to “lighten up on the tribalism.”
Guys……Just enjoy wrestling. We love to do it for you. Lighten up on the tribalism. #KeepSteppin
Tony Khan saw that the USA Network’s official X account took a jab at him and his love of Cagematch ratings. The situation escalated quickly, and Jinder Mahal became more than aware that his name was brought into the conversation.
Tony Khan made an argument in that post that Hook, who has a 28-1 record, is also deserving of a World Title shot.
A double standard: @730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage Jinder has literally lost every single match he’s in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage #AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
A double standard:@730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage
Jinder has literally lost every single match he's in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage#AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
Jinder Mahal has a huge match against Seth Rollins on January 15th’s episode of WWE RAW. The Modern Day Maharaja saw what Tony Khan posted, but he is not going to let that distract him.
Mahal, instead of getting petty or firing off a vengeful reply, simply acted like he didn’t know who Hook is. He also took the opportunity to plug the upcoming episode of RAW in a now-deleted post.
Who tf is Hook? WATCH MONDAY NIGHT RAW ON USA NETWORK MONDAY 8PM EST!
It was not lost on anyone that Jinder also tagged the USA Network account that was responsible for this entire chain of events. As of this writing, the USA Network has not followed-up, but we have to wonder if they will post the Cagematch rating for Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal’s WWE World Heavyweight Title match when the numbers are released.
Tony Khan’s X account has 399.7K followers, and every single one of them are well aware that his account could explode at any moment with an unexpected post. The AEW President did not disappoint today.
How it started
This week during WWE Raw, the official USA Network X account replied to former Wrestling Inc owner Raj Giri, who was acknowledging the history between Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal.
These guys do have history. Seth Rollins defeated Jinder Mahal in the tournament finals to become the first NXT Champion. #WWERawpic.twitter.com/FTrI5Cs82O
The two former WWE Champions participated in a promo battle on the show and are set to compete for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship next week on the January 15th episode of RAW.
The response included a question about the Cagematch rating, seemingly taking a dig at AEW President Tony Khan, who often highlights the high Cagematch.net scores that AEW pay-per-views, shows, and matches receive.
The USA Network responded to Giri’s post to simply ask: What was the Cagematch rating?” This response blew up within the internet wrestling community, as fans both commended and criticized the account’s zero chill remark.
Tony Khan takes a shot at Jinder Mahal and WWE Booking
On January 9th, Tony Khan logged onto X, where he laid down a post about double standards. AEW has often been lauded as a “challenger brand,” and Khan was not shy about comparing Jinder Mahal’s WWE World Heavyweight Title shot to Hook being a logical challenger for Samoa Joe’s AEW World Title.
A double standard: @730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage Jinder has literally lost every single match he’s in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage #AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
A double standard:@730hook 28-1 career record, on winning streak calls out the Champ, a logical challenge sparks online outrage
Jinder has literally lost every single match he's in for the past year, immediately gets title shot, where is the rage#AEWDynamite TOMORROW on TBS
Tony Khan was not finished there. He then directed a reply directly at the USA Network’s post asking about a Cagematch rating. The AEW President pointed out that Jinder Mahal has gone a full year without winning a match, yet he’s getting a big match opportunity.
A moral victory for USA is one win more than their World Title challenger Jinder Mahal has in the past 364 days… because it’s been literally a full year since he won a match. You really put AEW in our place getting Jinder Mahal in a big match on your tv show. Do it more often.
A moral victory for USA is one win more than their World Title challenger Jinder Mahal has in the past 364 days… because it's been literally a full year since he won a match. You really put AEW in our place getting Jinder Mahal in a big match on your tv show. Do it more often https://t.co/0kpuUsvkm1
Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal replied to Tony Khan’s tweets about him and shut down in the situation in true ‘Modern Day Maharaja’ fashion.
Khan is familiar with expressing his thoughts and sparking discussions on social media. Last year, the AEW President shared a retweet, discussing how Shawn Michaels and Triple H aimed to convey a message to him through a loaded-up WWE NXT episode when their shows were in direct competition. He then proceeded to throw down a post where he called the WWE higher-ups “bald *ssholes.”
Eric Bischoff Jumps In the Fray and things get even uglier
Tony Khan and Eric Bischoff directed some fiery tweets at each other in the aftermath of this situation. Bischoff called Khan a clown via emoji, and Tony replied by channeling the great Joan Collins to tell Bischoff he’s a ‘miserable has-been.’
A fan posted on X to say, “Tony forgets that he literally gave Abadon a title shot after being off AEW TV for over a year…. the same exact situation as Jinder.” Eric Bischoff noticed that post on X, and he replied to ask Tony Khan, “Hey Tony Khan is this true or is it a bot?”
Tony Khan then replied to Eric Bischoff, as he backed up his booking of Abadon.
No @EBischoff, not true at all. Abadon returned to AEW + then they won a 4 way match on TNT against other great wrestlers to earn a title shot, which is completely different than someone going a full year losing every match they’re in + getting a title shot without a single win.”
Tony Khan then followed that post up with another which said: “Reading would be your friend, Eric.”
No @EBischoff, not true at all. Abadon returned to AEW + then they won a 4 way match on TNT against other great wrestlers to earn a title shot, which is completely different than someone going a full year losing every match they're in + getting a title shot without a single win https://t.co/tmo8TzuBAy
Eric Bischoff promptly responded to Tony Khan, addressing AEW’s leader while referencing a Dave Meltzer quote.
“Oh kid, my reading comprehension skills are wizard like. By the way, that was one of @davemeltzerWON wicked comebacks whenever he’d get called out on his bs. Coincidence or are you really that deep?”
Oh kid, my reading comprehension skills are wizard like. By the way, that was one of @davemeltzerWON wicked comebacks whenever he’d get called out on his bs. Coincidence or are you really that deep? https://t.co/hDDxIii4gN
We used to see wrestling companies drive jeeps up to the opposing company's venue, Billionaire Ted skits, giving away results and trying to fight each other at the ALAMO
Tweets? You all are mad over tweets and little comments at the Hall of Fame and stuff??
Cmon lol
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) January 9, 2024
WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal is eager to step into the ring with The Rock once again, after their collision on this week’s episode of Raw.
The Brahma Bull returned to WWE programming during this week’s Day 1 edition of Raw to an eclectic response from the crowd. WWE had been teasing the return of a former WWE Champion in the days before the show, which at first appeared to be Mahal. The Modern-Day Maharaja ran down the United States before the return of The Rock, who had some choice words for his fellow former WWE Champion. The Rock then laid out Mahal with a spinebuster and his People’s Elbow.
Jinder Mahal Challenges The Rock
The Rock may have handily dispatched of Mahal on Raw, but now the 3MB alum is ready for another shot at the Great One. Speaking to WWE Super Dhamaal, Mahal has praise for his own efforts on Day 1 Raw.
“I had many good points before Rock even came out. I was feeling confident until I was on the receiving end of, you know, Rock gave me a spinebuster. Up until then, I really believed that I had The Rock. You know, I had his confidence choked. I could see the look in his eyes. You know, I am the Modern Day Maharaja, he may be The People’s Champion, they were cheering him on. For someone who had no respect from the crowd, I think I did really well.”
Mahal then made his intentions clear and challenged the Brahma Bull to a match.
“I want to issue a challenge to The Rock. Anytime in India, you can step into the ring with The Modern Day Maharaja.”
After dealing with Mahal, The Rock teased going after Roman Reigns’ role as Head of the Table. Click here to check out the reaction from the Tribal Chief.
WWE fans expected the return of a former WWE Champion during the Day 1 episode of RAW. To their surprise, Jinder Mahal made a comeback with a new anti-American gimmick. Then he was suddenly interrupted.
The Rock then entered the scene, generating a massive reaction from the crowd. While there had been speculation about his appearance at the show, it wasn’t definitively confirmed before the broadcast.
The Rock was spotted with WWE CEO Nick Khan previously in the day. Dwayne Johnson was in Pasadena for College Gameday. That is just a couple of hours from WWE RAW’s location of San Diego this week. It was reported by Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select that “when we brought that up to a WWE higher up, they said we made a compelling argument, but wouldn’t confirm or deny.”
During that surprise appearance, The Rock addressed Jinder Mahal, contrasting him with the Iron Sheik and even humorously impersonating the legendary WWE Hall of Famer that we lost last year.
In response, Jinder Mahal attempted to talk smack about Americans. The Rock proudly declared himself the People’s Champion and an American, which makes us think about all those rumors about The Rock running for US President down the line.
After The Rock continued to insult Jinder Mahal, and his own Baywatch film as collateral damage, The Great One then said that Jinder Mahal is no longer the Modern Day Mahajara, instead, he is now the “day one douchebag.” Yes, fans chanted “day one douchebag” in loud fashion as The Rock directed them to do so.
In an attempt to ambush The Rock, Jinder Mahal started with an attack. However, Dwayne Johnson swiftly retaliated, responding with a series of punches, his spinebuster, and ultimately delivering his iconic People’s Elbow.
The Rock wasn’t finished there, as he picked up the microphone and asked the San Diego crowd if he should sit at the “head of the table” when he goes out to dinner after the show.
The dig at Roman Reigns was obvious, and now we have to wonder if The Rock vs Reigns is actually going to happen in 2024.
The Rock vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania was Cancelled Before
WWE had plans for The Rock vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, and it was going to happen, but then things changed for that match. It was never in the cards for WrestleMania 40, but there is always the possibility of a great creative shift if the situation calls for it. The Rock deciding that he can make the time for a return match is definitely a situation that would call for plans changing.
Jinder Mahal is back in WWE NXT with a mission after returning to the gold brand during last night’s New Year’s Evil event.
For the show, Indus Sher (Veer Mahaan and Sanga) were scheduled to face the Creed Brothers, but Sanga said Veer was not present for the show.
Despite teasing a two-on-one handicap match, Sanga and the returning Mahal attacked Brutus and Julius Creed.
Reaction
Mahal’s appearance this week comes two months after his most recent televised match, and years after the former WWE Champion last competed in NXT.
Speaking in a backstage interview, Mahal highlighted his success in wrestling, including his reign as the first Indian WWE Champion.
Mahal said that the only thing he has not done in the wrestling industry is “give back,” which is exactly what he plans on doing.
Speaking about Veer and Sanga, Mahal said the two fight with honor, but he will teach them that being respectful and obeying the rules won’t get them far in WWE.
