WWE: Veer Mahaan’s backstory should be central to his on-screen character

For months WWE viewers heard about Veer Mahaan coming to WWE Raw. The vignettes ran week after week and became a sort of a running joke, one of many when it comes to WWE content. But now that he’s here, WWE is doing its thing presenting him as a monster heel. The initial reaction may be tepid at best, but there’s potential that Mahaan could become an interesting heel character on the brand.

When it comes to helping get bigger wrestlers over, the WWE has long turned to Rey Mysterio to get the job done. That’s once again the case as Mahaan has assaulted Dominick Mysterio the last two weeks, nearly popping his head off his shoulders on Monday’s edition of the show. Expect more of the same in the coming days before Mahaan smashes the elder Mysterio for his first win over a WWE icon.

But Mahaan brings an opportunity to go a different route with character development in professional wrestling. His life comes with an interesting story that was captured in the Disney movie, Million Dollar Arm, released in 2014. The movie follows the story of Mahaan signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates and becoming the first Indian player in professional baseball.

That fact is a compelling starting point for Mahaan as a character, and if one were to look at his presence on social media – Mahaan is much more than the snarling big man that wrestling fans see on television. His Instagram posts come with a mix of style and subtle jabs at his place in professional wrestling that show he has much more personality than what fans have seen so far.

It’s been noted many times over that WWE falls into the same troupes when presenting its talent to the roster. Those same stereotypes are even more pervasive when talking about wrestlers that come from diverse backgrounds. Ethnicity and culture can be an important part of an individual’s character, but they shouldn’t be the basis of what makes them a person when presenting said individual in entertainment.

WWE viewers are clamoring for new talent, matches, and storylines. Introducing Veer Mahaan as a heel character on Monday Night Raw opens a door for something different. Unfortunately, first impressions are that WWE is going down the same rabbit hole with character development, and Mahaan has an intriguing backstory that opens the door for something more both inside the ring and out.