Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal recently revealed his disappointment with Vince McMahon’s reaction—or lack thereof—following the 2017 Punjabi Prison Match against Randy Orton at WWE Battleground.
Despite the match’s logistical challenges and polarizing reception, Mahal and Orton gave it their all, delivering a nearly 30-minute main event. Speaking on Maven Huffman’s YouTube channel, Mahal described how McMahon’s absence after the match left him feeling slighted.
It’s a one-man audience.
Mahal said, referencing McMahon’s dominant influence over WWE creative.
Basically, we’re all just wrestling for Vince. When me and Randy [and] Great Khali came back, the ‘audience of one’ wasn’t there. He left. That was a little bit disrespectful. Even Randy was like, ‘Was he upset?’ And Michael [Hayes] was like, ‘No. He just left.’
The Punjabi Prison Match, notorious for its bulky structure and confusing rules, has only been featured three times in WWE history. Originally conceived as a showcase for The Great Khali, its debut at the Great American Bash in 2006 saw Khali sidelined due to medical issues, with Big Show replacing him against The Undertaker. Even then, the match faced criticism, with Khali’s former manager, Shawn Daivari, recalling WWE “just making up rules to create false finishes.”
Mahal, reflecting on his time in the company, also shared insights into his evolving relationship with McMahon.
Earlier in my career, I always avoided Vince. I was always afraid of him. [But] during this time, I got to work with him closely.
Following his release in April 2024, Mahal, now wrestling under his real name Raj Dhesi, continues his career on the independent circuit.
What WWE Secret Did Jinder Mahal Reveal?
Jinder Mahal revealed the long-standing WWE secret of how wrestlers hide underneath the ring to emerge during matches. Mahal said that during TV tapings or PPVs, it is surprisingly easy to sneak to the ring and climb underneath as there are often many moments during a show where they switch the lights off to show video packages on the big screens, which gives the wrestlers plenty of time to get into position under the ring. Mahal even said that there is a dedicated staff member who stays under the ring with a monitor and a headset to help organise surprise reveals from under the ring.
H/t to WrestlingInc.com