'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
When Jinder Mahal became WWE Champion in 2017, many believed the future would be bright for him. At the time, many looked at Mahal as the star who would boost the Stamford-based promotion's popularity in India and the subcontinent. While The Modern Day Maharaja did succeed initially, his momentum dried later on.
After he lost his WWE Championship, Jinder failed to keep up the popularity he had amassed. However, 2024 once again saw Mahal trying to make a comeback. From not making enough on-screen appearances, The Modern Day Maharaja all of a sudden shared the ring with The Rock.
This segment between him and The Final Boss earned Jinder Mahal plenty of praise. Recently, during his appearance on The Chris Van Vliet Podcast, Mahal revealed The Rock's reaction to their segment. The Modern Day Maharaja said:
"Yes, he actually kind of left a little bit of an Easter egg. He sent me a voice note like, 'Thank you, I appreciate working with you, and I'll be seeing a lot more of you around now that I'm doing things all across the board with WWE!' and it didn't click in. A few days later, it did. I was like, 'Oh, that's what he meant by doing things all across the board,''' he said.
While Mahal also managed to earn a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity against Seth Rollins after this segment, he couldn't win the title. Post these events, Mahal's screen time eventually reduced and he recently parted ways with WWE.
The Rock was full of praise for Jinder Mahal earlier this year
When The Rock and Jinder Mahal interacted earlier this year, they didn't have the sweetest meeting. The duo ended up in a physical fight, which was mainly dominated by The People's Champ. However, this did not stop The Final Boss from appreciating Mahal for his work.
After the event, The Rock dropped a video on his Instagram and spoke about his appearance on RAW. In that video, he made sure to give Mahal the respect he deserves. He called Mahal a stud and said it was great to mix it up with The Modern Day Maharaja.
"The guy in there tonight, Jinder Mahal. The guy's a stud; he looks like a million bucks. It was great to mix it up with him, dropping those People's Elbows on him," said The Rock.
Like The Rock, several WWE Superstars held Jinder Mahal in high regard. Now that he isn't part of the Stamford-based promotion anymore, it will be interesting to see where he goes.
