Jinder Mahal before and after: See The Maharaja's transformation in pictures

A few weeks ago, just after the WWE Superstar Shakeup, we saw one of the most shocking results in recent memory as Jinder Mahal won a Six Pack Challenge to become the No. 1 Contender to Randy Orton's WWE Championship.

One of the key reasons for this victory is tied to the WWE's plans to expand further into India and take advantage of the large market on offer in the sub-continent – allegedly. After all, why else would a jobber be afforded such a priceless opportunity at the expense of far more gifted and deserving superstars?

Well, another reason could well be The Maharaja's physical transformation. He has gone from an averagely built lower card talent to someone who looks like he could give Brock Lesnar a run for his money. And, we all know how much Vince McMahon loves his big muscled wrestlers.

So, keeping this latter point in mind, let's take a look at the extent of this crazy transformation.

Here is Jinder Mahal's before and after pictures:

#5 Before

Here's what Mahal looked like in developmental

When Jinder Mahal signed on with the WWE's developmental program back in 2010, there was nothing to make him stand out amongst the crowd except for his ethnicity. His looks were the same as countless as other WWE hopefuls.

#5 After

Mahal teamed with Rusev upon his 2016 return to the WWE.

In August 2016 – on his return to the WWE after a couple of years on the indy scene – Mahal looked nothing like the man who had left the WWE. Showcasing a ripped new body, he was immediately inserted into an angle where he teamed up with Rusev.

#4 Before

Even during his angle with The Great Khali, Jinder was still not the physical monster he is today

Upon debuting on the WWE's main roster, Jinder Mahal engaged in an angle with another wrestler with Indian connections – The Great Kahli. This was during Khali's Punjabi Playboy days. As you can see in the above picture, he was still built like an average wrestler.

#4 After

Jinder's angle with Rusev saw them turn from friends to foes

Mahal's alliance with Rusev soon crumbled and he engaged in a feud with the Bulgarian brute which didn't really go anywhere. New muscles or not, Jinder had still not won over the fans.

#3 Before

Jinder was sent back down to NXT during his first run with the WWE

Jinder's first run with the WWE was quite dismal and he was, in fact, sent back down to NXT at one point. He created quite a splash at the developmental brand and was sent back up to the main roster soon after.

#3 After

Jinder soon returned to his position as a jobber after his feud with Rusev ended

The end of the Rusev feud signalled a drop back down the card for Jinder Mahal as he was soon jobbed out to the likes of Finn Balor. Fortunately for Jinder and his improved physique, things would be taking a turn for the better.

#2 Before

Jinder looked at his leanest as part of 3MB

Mahal's promotion back to the main roster didn't really go according to plan, though, as he was placed in the 3 Man Band with Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre.

#2 After

A close up look of Mahal's physique upon his move to Smackdown Live

Shortly after he was drafted over to Smackdown Live, Jinder made full use of his impressive new look to capture a shot at the WWE Championship with the help of the Bollywood Boys.

#1 Before

Mahal even faced off against the likes of Seth Rollins and The Shield during his finals days with the old look on WWE programming.

#1 After

Mahal has a feud with Randy Orton on SmackDown

With his physical transformation, Jinder Mahal has tormented Randy Orton these past few weeks with the help of his cohorts. So is it the power of the steroids as suspected or is the Maharaja actually a beast in the gym? Sound off in the comments