What’s the story?
WWE has finally introduced new merchandise for the reigning WWE champion Jinder Mahal. The WWE has showcased the new apparel on its official website, with t-shirts printed with the phrase “The Modern Day Maharajah”.
In case you didn’t know...
Jinder Mahal, whose real name is Yuvraj Singh Dhesi, shocked the world by dethroning Randy Orton at Backlash and becoming the new WWE champion.
The 30-year old Indo-Canadian Superstar had a ‘Punjabi’ celebration on the most recent episode of SmackDown Live and wrestled Orton after the show went off air.
Also Read: WWE News: Jinder Mahal faced off against Randy Orton after SmackDown went off air
The heart of the matter
Jinder Mahal made his main-roster debut in WWE back in 2011 but parted ways with the promotion in 2014. He returned to WWE last year with a new, low-fat, high-muscle physique and recently defeated Randy Orton for the company’s most prestigious title - the WWE Championship.
WWE, in lieu of its global expansion plans, introduced the WWE Shop in India last month during the live broadcast of Wrestlemania 33 in the country.
They have now revealed brand new Jinder Mahal merchandise, a Maharajah T-Shirt to be precise, available for $24.99 to fans in the US, Rs. 1,737 for fans in India, and for CAD 35.17 in his birthplace, Canada.
What’s next?
As per SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon, Jinder Mahal will defend his WWE Championship against Randy Orton at the upcoming SmackDown brand-exclusive PPV Money In The Bank at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri on June 18th.
Author’s take
The WWE are hell-bent on making in-roads the Indian market, not that they were any less popular in the past. However, Mahal’s recent upset win over Orton has got the fans in India buzzing, so to speak.
India is reacting to the Maharajah’s WWE title win and we’ll have to wait and watch if and how Vince McMahon’s gamble pays off in the weeks to come.
