Jinder Mahal has hit back at fans who labeled him “the worst champion of all time” during his run as WWE Champion in 2017.
“While I was WWE Champion, I was called the the experiment, the unworthy champion, the worst champion of all time,” Mahal told GiveMeSport in a recent interview.
Mahal disputed the notion that WWE made him champion only to improve its position within the Indian market, point out that lucrative TV deals were in place even during his tenure with comedy faction 3MB.
“So this is just people downplaying my accomplishments. WWE Universe in India, their TV deals everything, were just as much in play when I was in 3MB and while I was released I do believe WWE Raw was the live on Sony. When I was brought back who still write live on Sony.
“I wasn’t brought back to become WWE Champion, at that time they separated the rosters again, Raw and SmackDown, and they just needed some people who were TV-ready essentially to throw on and maybe highlight some of the newer talent, but somewhere along the line I knew ‘Hey this is my way in. This is my foot in the door. I’m going to knock the whole door down and I’m going to become WWE Champion.’”
Mahal then wondered why fans didn’t say that Drew McIntyre was made WWE Champion to improve WWE’s position within the UK market.
“So that’s like me saying ‘Hey Drew, you were WWE Champion because WWE wanted to expand into the UK’. Why is that? Why are people not saying that? Right now Drew is celebrated, I’m the one who was this experimental champion, which is untrue. I’ve worked hard for and I’ve earned every opportunity that I’ve ever been given, every championship that I’ve had I’ve worked very very hard for.”
Mahal and McIntyre will face off this Saturday at the SummerSlam pay-per-view.
