Whether you know him from his original storyline with The Great Khali, from rocking around with 3MB, or his time as WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal has had quite the career. His wrestling journey has been a true rollercoaster ride that is jam-packed with ups and downs, which has led to plenty of fascinating stories.
Mahal has been in the main events and has been a jobber, providing him with a career that few can compare with. But while plenty is known about his journey to the top inside the ring, what about the stories from behind the curtain about The Modern Day Maharaja?
10 Vince McMahon's Approval
Jinder Mahal has spoken highly of Vince McMahon throughout his career, which is something many WWE Superstars do. However, he also revealed that the WWE Chairman was impressed with him and the WWE Championship run that he had.
Mahal revealed that Vince liked his work while champion, which is backed up by the long run he was given. Plus, Jinder stated that he would go to Vince first after any promo or match in order to get advice, showing his desire to keep learning.
9 Avoiding Vince
While Jinder Mahal ended up building a fantastic relationship with Vince McMahon due to his push to the main event. However, he actually revealed that during his first run with the company, Mahal would purposefully avoid him.
Jinder stayed out of Vince's way due to being intimidated by him. Obviously, the WWE Chairman brings a presence whenever he is around, but avoiding him isn't good for anybody wanting to climb the ladder.
8 Leather For 3MB
During an episode of Table For Three with the members of 3MB, the group hilariously revealed how they got stuck wrestling in leather pants all the time. Originally, that wasn't the plan for them, with Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre actually trying to purchase rockstar versions of trunks.
However, WWE told them that they would all be wearing leather pants, no matter what they wanted and the trio began worrying about how hot they would be.
7 Respect For The Viper
When Jinder Mahal became WWE Champion, he was able to feud with Randy Orton. Getting to work with a legend like Orton no doubt helped his career, and Jinder clearly gained a lot from that.
He speaks highly of The Viper now, with Mahal stating that Orton is the most gifted athlete he has ever wrestled against. It's praise Orton has had before and just showcases how good he is.
6 Looking Out For His Friend
Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre are good friends in real life, which is something that dates back to their 3MB days. However, one story that Drew revealed showcased what type of person Mahal was.
During one night on the road, the two men stayed over at Mahal's cousin's house, which just so happened to have only one bedroom. Here they both refused to let Drew sleep on the sofa, despite him insisting it was fine, proving the type of friend he is.
5 Learning About His Main Event Push
Jinder Mahal's initial push into the main event scene is one that truly came out of nowhere, and that is something that shocked fans. However, it also surprised Mahal himself.
Jinder didn't learn that he was going to be the man to face Orton for the WWE Championship until the night of the number one contender's match when he was taping up his wrists backstage.
4 His Push Wasn't Random
Speaking of his push, while it came out of nowhere to the fans, that wasn't the case backstage. That's because, at WrestleMania 33, Mahal was told that big things were coming his way.
Even though Jinder only worked the pre-show that year, Road Dogg took the time to tell him that he was going to be getting a push. Of course, Mahal felt that would be in the mid-card, but it ended up being so much more.
3 His Pride In The Punjabi Prison Match
Jinder Mahal might not be a worker on the level of Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels, but he has put together some very entertaining matches across his career. One match that was universally disliked though was when he competed inside the Punjabi Prison.
However, while many fans didn't enjoy the encounter, Mahal himself admitted that he loved that match. He felt that everything involved helped to make it a good match that he wishes had been received better.
2 Going Sober
There's no denying the excellent shape that Jinder Mahal got himself in for his WWE return. He took his release and worked hard to get into the best possible shape he could and it worked excellently for him.
One factor that helped that was his decision to give up drinking. Mahal admitted he had hit rock bottom before returning and was drinking too often, so he quit cold turkey which is a decision he remains pleased to have made.
1 Original 3MB Plans
While 3MB ended up being a low point for Jinder Mahal's career, the fact is that it's a memorable part. However, he wasn't actually part of the original plans for the group that Heath Slater had in mind.
It was Heath who pitched to have a band, only neither Jinder nor Drew McIntyre was in his pitch. Instead, he wanted Fandango, EC3, and Dean Ambrose, with neither of the men he actually worked with being involved originally.