WWE Champion Jinder Mahal: ‘The Secret To My Success Is Persistence’

During a recent interview, Jinder Mahal discussed all things WWE, including his quick rise to fame, his beef with Rob Gronkowski, and much, much more.

Current WWE Champion Jinder Mahal has been a controversial figure in the past few months on SmackDown Live. And luckily for Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, he got to sit down with Modern Day Maharaja, to discuss his rise in the WWE.

The very confident Mahal seems to think he’s already won at Hell In A Cell, underestimating Nakamura’s abilities, and already has another opponent in mind.

"“Rob Gronkowski cost me the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and I haven’t forgot that,” said Mahal. “There is definitely unfinished business between myself and Gronkowski, and I can guarantee he’ll be getting his receipt.”"

Recently, the 31-year-old performed a ‘racist’ promo directed towards his opponent at Hell In A Cell. In response to Barrasso, Mahal gave a predictable reply. He went on to say that everyday in the WWE is also an opportunity, furthermore saying, he “has to rise to the occasion every time [he’s] given the opportunity.”

Which is basically a long-winded way of saying he’s not going to comment on the promo.

Jinder Mahal was released from the WWE in 2014; simply because he wasn’t good enough to cut it. In hindsight, Mahal seems happy he got fired, mainly because it taught him a valuable lesson in the business of pro wrestling. He goes on to mention that a lot of people asked if he was disappointed when he got released, and replies, that he learned that “you get back what you put in”.

During this period, Mahal says that wan’t putting in 100 percent, and therefore, he wasn’t getting back 100 percent. However, once he got back to the WWE, he regained his focus, and drive, and now, is fortunate for everyday he’s in WWE.

Mahal then goes on to state that he ‘forced’ the WWE to make him Champion, by putting in the work, and proving that he deserves to be in the main event spot. He even goes on to mention that his rise to the top of the mountain has inspired other Superstars, ones in which, the WWE aren’t doing much with.

"“The secret to my success is persistence. You never know when the break is going to come, so you have to keep plugging away. I know that my journey motivated the rest of the locker room. Sometimes, guys are in a slump or you feel like you’re not doing anything with the company, and I felt like that for years. But it can all change. Mentally, you can’t expect positive things to start happening in your life with a negative attitude. There was originally no plan in place for me to become WWE champion. It felt like I became the number one contender out of nowhere. I call what I did forcing the results. I wasn’t happy with my position. I was putting in the work, but I wasn’t getting the results. I was going to force the result no matter what the cost.”"

It’s clear to see that the WWE Champion is happy to be where he is. He also seems more than happy to explain his rise to the top, in surprising fashion, and want’s other stars to take inspiration from his journey.

Next: Spoiler for WWE NXT TakeOver: Houston

All in all, it’s safe to say Mahal didn’t expect this type of treatment upon his return to the WWE. However, just a shift in mentality (and body type), is all that’s needed to get noticed.

It’s a great story, that can’t be argued. And I like the way he presents his narrative as inspiration to other guys in the back. Because honestly, if Jinder Mahal can make it, anyone truly can.