SUMMARY
- Over the years, various Indian-origin pro wrestlers have been a part of WWE.
- Amid the talent pool that has been a part of the company, let's take a look at WWE's history with Indian pro wrestlers.
WWE shocked everyone just hours before the April 19 edition of SmackDown, as several performers were released by the Triple H-led promotion. Amid the kind of business growth and financial success the company has been experiencing in recent times, this move seemed a bit unusual to pro wrestling enthusiasts.
But another thing that grabbed their attention was that most of the in-ring stars released by the organization belonged to a particular country, India. As the Indian audience plays a major role in WWE’s business and social media numbers, it was a strange move, and people have been wondering the reason behind it. So, let’s take a look at the company’s history with Indian stars, and those who have been released recently.
Jinder Mahal
The biggest shock on the list of people who were released by the promotion was Jinder Mahal. A major reason behind this is the kind of performances he gave as recently as January 2024. Mahal not only had a World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins, but he even had a great promo battle against Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock.
In addition to this, he is a former WWE champion and has also held the United States title once. With all these accolades in this journey in the Triple H-led promotion, Jinder‘s exit was something nobody expected to happen. But the promotion released him, and it remains to be what’s next in line for him.
Veer Mahaan
This name may not be as huge as Jinder Mahal, but it’s true that WWE once tried to make Veer Mahaan a dominant performer in the company. In fact, they even repackaged him into a brand new avatar, and after months of teases, he eventually made his debut on Monday Night RAW, where he destroyed everyone.
Despite this kind of presentation, the promotion wasn’t able to capitalize on his persona, and he later joined Indus Sher, where he worked alongside The Modern Day Maharaja. After being a part of the stable for quite some time, Veer has now been officially released by the promotion as a part of the releases on April 19.
Sanga
Last but not least, the final Indian superstar who has parted ways with WWE is Sanga, aka Saurav Gurjar. This Indian-origin pro wrestler was also a part of the Indus Sher faction with Veer and Jinder, and he was like a powerhouse in terms of physical appearance and power.
The kind of agility he had despite being a heavyweight was truly commendable, but the in-ring star never really got the opportunity to showcase his true talent in the Stamford-based promotion. At last, after being with the organization for years, Sanga has been officially released.
Before this recent set of releases, which included Xia Li and Xyon Quinn, alongside Indus Sher, WWE previously released another Indian star, Shanky. The giant pro wrestler was scrapped from his contract in late September 2023, and now three more India-based stars have been released by the biggest pro wrestling company in the world.
Released Indian stars react to their WWE departure
WWE’s decision to end their association with Indian talent has obviously come as a surprise for the pro wrestling audience. But the way the released superstars have reacted to their departure from the Stamford-based promotion has started a sort of discussion among the audience.
All this started with The Modern Day Maharaja’s tweet, in which he wrote, “I Quit. Maharaja Out.” After this, his Indus Sher teammate Veer Mahaan also posted about the release in his native language, and his post stated, “When it comes to the honor and respect of Indians, sacrifice comes first. Good Bye WWE.” (Via: X)
View this post on Instagram
While these two shared just tweets, Sanga shared a video message on Twitter. In his message to the people of his country who love him or watch the Stamford-based promotion’s product, he talked about how the company always wants viewership and business from India but never gives true chances to the talent from his home country.
The pro wrestler said, “It’s sad, but you need to understand that we come from a land with 1.4 billion people, and they like you and us, and they want talented athletes from their home country to be represented and work on an international level.” These comments from the 38-year-old in-ring performer make it seem like there were some major issues that have led to the release of this entire group.
Who is the most successful Indian superstar in WWE history?
WWE released Indus Sher on April 19, but these three aren’t the only wrestlers who have been a part of the company and then ended up departing. In fact, Shanky and Kavita Devi were also associated with the Triple H-led promotion. But the entire journey of Indian-origin stars going into the promotion was started initially by the one and only, The Great Khali.
As Khali and Jinder Mahal are the only two Indian superstars who have won the World Championship in the organization, fans often ask who has been the most successful. The recency of Mahal’s run in the Stamford-based promotion is something that may generate support to the fact that he is the best pro wrestler from India in the promotion’s history.
But if we consider the way The Great Khali was presented by WWE, his undefeated streak, and fighting against guys like The Undertaker and John Cena, he’s without any doubt the greatest Indian to ever step into the company. The veteran made his debut in the Triple H-led promotion back in 2006 and was straight away put into a dominant run by the organization.
Khali went on to have matches with Rey Mysterio, and The Undertaker, in which he defeated them. Just over a year after his debut, Dalip Singh Rana was able to hold gold, as he won the World Heavyweight title after winning a 20-man Battle Royal on the July 20, 2007, episode of SmackDown. With this, he became the first ever Indian to achieve this mark, and this shows the kind of career he had in the Stamford-based promotion.
In addition to the destruction he caused, he was also somewhat more connected with the audience, and that’s a major reason why Khali is probably the most successful Indian superstar in the company’s history. Now that there’s no Indian superstar in the Triple H-led promotion, it remains to be seen what’s next for these professional wrestlers.