Raj Dhesi, formerly known as Jinder Mahal in WWE, has revealed that his career nearly took a dramatically different path just weeks before he captured the WWE Championship.
Speaking about a backstage incident from 2017, Dhesi recalled receiving a stern warning from Vince McMahon. The warning came about after an in-ring accident involving Finn Balor.
Looking back now, the timing makes the story all the more remarkable. What appeared to be a career-threatening moment was followed by the biggest push of his WWE run.
Jinder Mahal recalls Vince McMahon’s backstage warning
Speaking with TMZ Sports, Dhesi reflected on a 2017 RAW match against Finn Balor that took place one week before he was drafted to SmackDown. During the bout, Balor suffered a concussion after a forearm strike that the pair had performed successfully during numerous live events.
“It was one week before getting drafted to SmackDown, before I became WWE Champion,” Dhesi explained. “I accidentally gave him a concussion. We would do this spot every night on the live events… But, just mistiming. Wrestling is a game of millimeters. If you’re a millimeter off, you could end your career and you could have a broken neck or a serious injury.”
Dhesi admitted he “felt terrible” after the incident. Moreover, he admitted the situation became even more intense once he returned through the Gorilla Position.
“When I came into Gorilla, Vince told me himself, ‘I should fire you,'” Dhesi recalled.
Fortunately for the former WWE Champion, the warning did not become reality. Instead, his fortunes changed almost immediately. “A week later, I went to SmackDown. A week after that, I was number one contender, a month after I was WWE Champion,” he said, adding that the incident could have completely altered “the trajectory” of his life.
During the same interview, Dhesi also reflected on the end of his WWE run, saying he wished it had come with more direction and closure instead of ending abruptly.
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