For the first time in roughly two years, the WWE returned to India this past weekend for their scheduled Supershow live event in New Delhi. The card featured many high-profile WWE superstars including Kane, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor, Bray Wyatt, Sasha Banks, Alexa Bliss, The Shield (Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns), and of course, Jinder Mahal and Triple H who headlined the show.
Although this special event boasted many big names and solid matches, Jinder Mahal versus Triple H was undoubtedly the headlining story. Jinder Mahal, who has been pushed relatively hard over the past several months in order to help expand the WWE’s presence in India, took the loss against Triple H which had shocked the wrestling community initially, considering the WWE’s relentless efforts in attempting to establish Mahal as India’s next superstar.
However, once the storm settled, during an interview this week with NBC Sports , Triple H offered fans insight on the reasoning behind his win over Mahal at the New Delhi Supershow, and why Jinder’s loss won’t affect him negatively in the future — quite the contrary, according to the “King Of Kings.”
Triple H discussed how certain WWE stars are in another ballgame of “stardom” in India, and he referenced names including The Undertaker and John Cena (and not so bluntly, himself), hinting at the fact that Mahal is not quite in the same league star-power wise in India yet, hence why a win over “The Game” wouldn’t have gone over well.
Triple H stated that although Jinder did in fact receive a very warm welcome and a great reaction from fans in New Delhi (the reaction intensified when Jinder paid his respects to Triple H following their bout), Mahal still needs to earn their respect, something that comes with time and growth as a performer.
Triple H also mentioned the fact that Jinder Mahal simply being featured on their India Tour will help “The Modern Day Maharaja” in the long run despite the loss, and that over time, he will grow and become a “cultural icon” for Indian wrestling fans. Triple H believes that the way they handled the booking for his and Mahal’s match was done in the right manner.
Although Jinder Mahal lost the WWE Championship to AJ Styles on the November 7, 2017, episode of SmackDown Live in front of a thunderous crowd in Manchester, England, Jinder’s initially rumored “rapid demise” following his title loss doesn’t seem quite as likely given how Triple H has spoken recently about Mahal, and his potential to make a big impact in India.
It’s unknown up to this point what the WWE’s plans are for Mahal moving forward, but Jinder will receive his rematch against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship this Sunday (December 17) at the SmackDown Live Clash Of Champions pay-per-view event, which will broadcast live via the WWE Network at 8 p.m. Eastern Time/5 p.m. Pacific Time.