Published 15:30 IST, April 20th 2020

WWE throwback: When Jinder Mahal became the second Indian crowned as WWE Champion

Jinder Mahal became only the second Indian WWE champion when he defeated Randy Orton 'The Viper' at WWE Backlash in 2017. Here's a glimpse of the fight.

SportFit
2 min read

Follow:

null | Image: self

Jinder Mahal was seen as the underdog when he stepped inside the WWE ring against Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in 2017 at Backlash. However, by the end of the night, the Allstate Arena was in shock as Jinder Mahal claimed the WWE Championship and became only the second Indian wrestler to do so. A number of WWE fans might argue on the statement since Jinder Mahal is technically a Canadian citizen but 'The Modern Day Maharaja' has fashioned his persona to represent India in his WWE journey and is a self-acclaimed ‘Indian WWE Champion’.

Also Read | Indian Man Shanky Singh Has Earned His Opportunity Of Becoming The Next WWE Superstar

WWE News: Jinder Mahal WWE Championship victory against Randy Orton

Jinder Mahal unleashed a bad-blood rivalry with Randy Orton in 2017 and WWE decided to settle it for once at Backlash in 2017. The WWE Championship was put on the line, and champion Randy Orton was billed as the favourite against Jinder Mahal. Though Orton managed to dominate his Indian rival for a commendable period of time, Jinder Mahal managed to defeat the Viper with constant assistance from The Singh brothers.

Randy Orton came close to victory as he almost pinned down Jinder Mahal on multiple occasions but The Singh brothers came in handy as they continued saving Jinder. That being said, The Modern Day Maharaja also survived multiple heavy shots from Orton including his deadly finisher, the RKO. Jinder Mahal showed consistency throughout the fight and with help from The Singh Brothers, he went on to defeat Randy Orton for the WWE Championship.

Also Read | Roman Reigns Says He Was ‘terrified’ Before His WrestleMania 30 Match

WWE News: Is Jinder Mahal Indian?

Jinder Mahal is technically a Canadian citizen. However, being the nephew of the great Gama Singh, Jinder Mahal proudly represents India in WWE. Starting from the Punjabi titantron to his grand entrances, Jinder Mahal has endeared himself to the Indian masses since his WWE debut. Here’s a look at his jaw-dropping entrance.