‘Want to learn the secret to WWE longevity from Hulk Hogan’, says Indian-origin wrestler Jinder Mahal | WWE News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: “He could be the new generation Hulk Hogan” – WWE star Jinder Mahal, aka Yuvraj Singh Dhesi, still remembers those words that the legendary Hulk Hogan tweeted for him. Mahal, who joined WWE in 2010, takes inspiration from Hogan, widely believed to be the greatest professional wrestler of all time, and is now geared up for the upcoming WWE Smackdown WrestleMania.
An excited Mahal spoke to TimesofIndia.com and discussed his upcoming fight, the reason behind choosing his ring name – Jinder Mahal, his inspiration Hulk Hogan and much more.

(Photo Credit: WWE)
What has Jinder Mahal’s WWE journey so far been like?
The journey has been long and has been rewarding. I’ve had many ups and downs in the WWE from debuting to being released to being signed back to becoming WWE Champion to where I am right now. I am about to go into the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 38 and need to really win this to gain some momentum again. So, I can again be in the picture for the WWE Championship, the Universal Championship, or the Intercontinental Championship. Also, my goal is to become tag team champions with Shanky or with Veer Mahaan.
Your name is Yuvraj Singh Dhesi. Why did you choose the ring name – Jinder Mahal?
In WWE, we play characters and the character that I chose to play is Jinder Mahal. The name Jinder Mahal is a strong Punjabi name. And the last name Mahal is a Punjabi last name, but it’s something that everybody around the world can associate with India, with the Taj Mahal, so I chose that name. But also, my nickname is the Maharaja. I believe it’s very important for me to display to the world, our Indian heritage, that we come from Kings and royalty. Maharaja is confident, he’s not arrogant. Maharaja is motivated and he’s a man of the people.

(TOI Photo)
What inspired you to become a wrestler? What was the support like from your family?
Everybody from Hulk Hogan to Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, the Rock, and Stone-Cold Steve Austin, who will actually be at WrestleMania this year, making his return – I got inspired after just watching them on television. Family support has been good. They’ve been super supportive. They see the hard work that I’ve done throughout the years, and they’re very happy to see me succeed in the WWE.
“He could be the new generation Hulk Hogan” – These were the legendary Hulk Hogan’s words for you…
I’m very humbled and honored that Hulk Hogan would say those words about me and I will continue to work hard. That gave me some more motivation to keep pushing forward and accomplishing more in the WWE, so thank you to Hulk Hogan for those kind words.

What is the one thing you want to learn from Hulk Hogan and why?
I would like to learn from Hulk Hogan how to have longevity in WWE. Hulk Hogan had a long, long career. He dominated for decades and constantly performed at a very, very high level. He is a multiple-time world champion. I would like to ask him how to have such a long career and stay at the top for so many years.
You are Canadian by citizenship and were born in Canada. Have you ever been to India? What are those memories like?
The last time I was in India was in 2018 when I had a match against Triple H. I was very honored. I got a lot of love from the fans. Going around in Delhi, and seeing and meeting fans was just amazing. Fans’ support and love for WWE gave me inspiration. That would be my favorite moment.

What was your reaction when you met ‘The Great Khali’ for the first time?
I was in awe of the Great Khali. He is over 7 feet tall. He is a huge, huge human being. His chest is twice as wide as mine. He is a nice man. He is a true gentle giant. I got to travel with Khali for years, spent a lot of time with him. I was his next-door neighbor in Houston for several years. I think of Khali as a big brother and I’m very happy to see that last year he went into the WWE Hall of Fame.