5 things you didn't know about Jinder Mahal

Today, Jinder Mahal turns 33.

The Modern-Day Maharaja has had quite an intriguing WWE journey and went from being a jobber to a WWE Champion in a matter of 3 years. Mahal signed with WWE back in 2010 and has been with the company for almost a decade now, minus a short-lived indie stint in between.

Mahal, real name Yuvraj Singh Dhesi, was born on July 19th, 1986 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Upon being called up to the main roster in 2011, Jinder lashed out at The Great Khali for turning from a legit monster to a weekly comedy act. He went on to bash Ranjin Singh, Khali's manager, for mismanaging the giant. He defeated Vladimir Kozlov in his debut match on the June 17th episode of SmackDown.

Jinder went on to form a stable with Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater, with the trio dubbing themselves the 3MB. After his WWE departure, Mahal appeared in several indie promotions. WWE called Jinder back in 2016, and the rest is history. To celebrate the 33rd birthday of The Modern Day Maharaja, let's dive into Jinder's past and look at five things you probably didn't know about Jinder Mahal.

A special thanks to WWE India for this feature.

#5 He was the 50th WWE Champion

Soon after WrestleMania 33 was done and dusted with, Mahal was moved to SmackDown Live during the Superstar Shakeup. He immediately received a push, winning a 6-Pack Challenge to earn a WWE title opportunity against the recently crowned Champion, Randy Orton. The Backlash PPV on May 21st saw Jinder Mahal win the WWE Championship by defeating The Viper. This was Mahal's first WWE title, but what made it even more special is the fact that he cemented his name in the record books as the 50th WWE Champion.

#4 Mahal's 2014 release was a blessing in disguise

Years before he became the WWE Champion, Jinder Mahal was put into a three-man faction, alongside Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre. After spending a significant period of time on the lower-card, Mahal was released by WWE.

For the next two years, Mahal wrestled in the indies. Jinder once stated in his interview with Chris Jericho that he had "hit rock bottom" while being away from WWE. He took it as a chance to prove himself and become better at his craft, which ultimately resulted in WWE calling him back for another stint. This is what Mahal said about his indie days:

The Jinder Mahal you see now is totally different. I think going away was the best thing that happened to me—I re-evaluated myself. I got motivated again, focused and more determined because I knew that the WWE is a place that rewards hard work.

#3 Mahal's uncle is former WWE Superstar Gama Singh

Gama Singh, the legendary villain of the 70s and 80s

Jinder's lineage goes back to the legendary Gama Singh, who was one of the most despised villains during the 70s and 80s. Singh was a major attraction for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling for the majority of his wrestling career and later went on to wrestle in Vince McMahon's WWF. In Stampede Wrestling, Singh won the Stampede World Mid-Heavyweight Championship on three separate occasions and the Tag Team titles alongside the likes of Ed Morrow and Crary Stevenson.

During his prime, Gama Singh wrestled in several countries, including Germany, Oman, Australia, and Japan. In fact, Vince McMahon deemed him a perfect fit as an Indian wrestler for WWF's tours in the Middle-East.

Singh got into a contract with Impact Wrestling in January 2018 as a manager, and later formed a stable named the "Desi Hit Squad".

#2 Mahal holds a business degree

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross has stated on various occasions how important it is to have a backup plan if you're trying to get into professional wrestling. A select few make it to the top and others end up fading into obscurity, never to be heard of, ever again. There have been countless examples of wrestlers who didn't care to finish their education while in pursuit of a wrestling career and paid the price heavily in the end.

Although Jinder Mahal had his eyes on making it big in the world of pro-wrestling, he made it a point to get a degree and have a backup in case things didn't work out.

Mahal studied at the University of Calgary and bagged a business degree in Communications & Culture. Mahal was still wrestling while he was in school, and went on the road full time after he graduated from university.

#1 He honed his skills in Stampede Wrestling

Mahal has come a long way over the past couple of decades

Canada has given a string of legendary wrestlers to the world of pro-wrestling. The list includes the who's who of pro-wrestling greats, including Edge, Bret Hart, Trish Stratus, Chris Jericho and Christian.

Although Mahal made his debut in Premier Martial-Arts Wrestling, he soon made his way to the promotion that was founded by the legendary WWE Hall of Famer Stu Hart, Stampede Wrestling. Over the course of the past few decades, Stampede Wrestling has given WWE some of its biggest Superstars till date. In 1999, Ross and Bruce Hart revived the promotion after a 9-year hiatus. This revived version of the promotion saw Mahal undergo training alongside future WWE Superstars like Viktor, Natalya, and Tyson Kid. Jinder won the Stampede Wrestling International Tag Team Championship on two occasions with Gama Singh Jr.

Sportskeeda community wishes a happy birthday to Jinder Mahal!

Edited by Kaushik Das