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What’s the story?
Jinder Mahal was interviewed by Sports Illustrated and responded to the criticism and bad press he received after cutting a promo on Shinsuke Nakamura a few weeks ago that many fans viewed as racist.
In case you didn’t know...
The segment that landed the WWE in hot water aired on Sept. 19, 2017 where Mahal and the Singh brothers mocked Nakamura’s accents and facial features and were met with fans chanting “that’s too far.”
The WWE didn’t upload the clip to their YouTube page, but several media outlets picked it up including The New York Post, Huffington Post and the Washington Post.
The heart of the matter
Sports Illustrated said that Mahal’s words were misunderstood and that Mahal’s words were said to show Nakamura that the fans will be the ones turning on him and saying those negative things.
Mahal himself said that he has to rise to the occasion for every promo he delivers, but there wasn’t a lot of clarification given.
“Every day in WWE is also an opportunity. I have to rise to the occasion every time I am given that opportunity, and that includes every promo on SmackDown, too.”
The following excerpt is the statement the WWE released back in September regarding Mahal’s promo and it bears a similar vagueness that Mahal exhibited in his response.
“Just like many other TV shows or movies, WWE creates programming with fictional personalities that cover real-world issues and sensitive subjects.”
What’s next?
Mahal has received new side plates for the WWE Championship and has officially been added to their upcoming tour in India.
Many fans want to see Nakamura win the championship this Sunday at Hell in a Cell, but the odds of that happening are increasingly less likely with the latest announcements and news surrounding the WWE Champion.
Author’s take
The heat the WWE received from the Nakamura-Mahal segment seems to have died down and so long as they don’t try something like that again, it’s unlikely that the fans will focus on it.
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