7 things we learned from Jinder Mahal’s recent interview on Lilian Garcia’s podcast

Former WWE champion Jinder Mahal stunned the wrestling world when he defeated Randy Orton at WWE Backlash, in what was possibly one of the most shocking moments in modern era wrestling.

Making it in the WWE is certainly tough, but going from a jobber, getting released, to getting re-signed and eventually winning one of the two main championships in WWE is something that not many would even dream of.

However, Jinder is living proof that if you work hard enough, it all pays off. Former WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia recently interviewed the Modern Day Maharaja on her podcast Chasing Glory and the hour-long interview revealed a few things that not many know about him.

#1 He has a great relationship with Randy Orton

Jinder Mahal winning the WWE championship was a turning point in his WWE career. Right before the big match, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had a meeting with both Randy and Jinder (separately) and told them Jinder was going over that night.

Surprisingly, Randy was more than happy to put him over, and Jinder revealed that they are good friends outside the ring.

The Modern Day Maharaja mentioned that he learned a lot from working with Randy Orton, and has always maintained a good relationship with him. Jinder also said that Orton is one of the greatest Superstars in the industry today.

#2 He made a good impression on Triple H

Triple H and Jinder Mahal after their match at a recent live show in India

Not long ago, Triple H defeated Jinder Mahal at a live event in India. However, just getting to face one of the biggest names in the industry was an honor for Jinder.

The respect is mutual because Triple H also had a lot of good things to say about Jinder. During the start of the interview, Lilian quoted Triple H, “Jinder is a guy who has always worked extremely hard. He trains hard; he's very intense about what he wants with his career; he's very thoughtful... to Jinder's credit and to Drew (McIntyre)'s credit, they left, they went and figured it for themselves, they improved. They're both men now as opposed to kids trying to make it in the business... now hopefully they are in a better position to succeed,” says the Chief Operating Officer of WWE, Triple H.

Drew McIntyre was one of Jinder’s teammates in 3MB and they’re both good friends. He is currently signed to WWE NXT.

#3 He has always been a big WWE fan

Growing up in Calgary, just like any other young Canadian wrestling fan, Jinder grew up idolizing Bret Hart. His parents were always busy working and he was raised by his grandparents.

He remembers coming home from school and watching wrestling on television every week. He even grew sideburns to look like The Rock. When he signed on for wrestling school, he wore a Rock shirt on his first day of training.

The Rock recently had a funny interaction with Jinder’s lackeys, the Singh Brothers, on Twitter, and he did give the three of them a whole lot of praise. That would’ve certainly been a big boost to Jinder’s confidence!

#4 Prior to winning the championship, Road Dogg told Jinder that good things were coming his way

At Wrestlemania 33, Jinder was on the kickoff show as part of the Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal. He was eliminated last by Mojo Rawley and eventually was drafted to Smackdown. He recalls bumping into former WWE Superstar Road Dogg backstage shortly after and was told that good things are coming his way.

Road Dogg is currently still signed to the company and works as a producer. In his mind, Jinder thought he was probably going to be given a push to compete for either the US or Intercontinental championship.

A few weeks later, he was booked to win the six-pack challenge to become the number one contender for the WWE championship and ended up winning the title at the next PPV.

#5 He stopped drinking alcohol

Jinder’s success story of turning his life around is a great story, but not many know how much discipline it took for him to turn it around.

He used to be an avid drinker and party often. When WWE released him, he decided that he wanted a change in his life and completely stopped drinking alcohol.

That wasn't the easiest considering the fact that he used to look forward to finishing his matches so he could have a drink at the bar. Jinder arguably has one of the best physiques in WWE today and he wouldn’t even come close to how he is today if it wasn’t for that big sacrifice he made. He hasn’t touched alcohol since!

#6 He believes in keeping a good image

According to Jinder, being a champion isn’t just about being a champion in the ring. A good champion needs to carry a positive attitude and be a good role model everywhere he/she goes.

Being a WWE superstar means constantly being in the public eye, and have many fans look up to you. His main focus when he was champion was representing the company well. He always wanted to make a good impression and be trusted by the company.

He mentioned that it’s not just about being a good ring performer, but also what Superstars do on their off days, after a show, what they post on social media, and plenty more. At the end of the day, carrying yourself well does matter, not only in the ring, but outside of it too.

#7 He thinks Vince McMahon is the most knowledgeable man in the world

Fans certainly admire the Chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon, but so do plenty of his employees. He is truly a genius for turning the WWE into the global phenomenon it is today, and making it one of the most successful sports entertainment companies.

Jinder has learned a lot from Vince, and goes to him after every big match to get feedback. He mentioned that from time to time, he would go straight to Vince to ask what he did right and wrong in his matches.

He believes that Vince’s mind and vision that he has for the company is extraordinary, and it’s truly amazing to see him create something so special and sustain it for a very long time.

To listen to the full interview, go to https://www.podcastone.com/chasing-glory-with-lilian-garcia