Former WWE Champion shoots on being fired from the company: “I was on my own for two years”

The WWE talent landscape is dynamic and keeps changing continuously. One wrestler who has experienced the highs and lows of being a superstar is former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal.

The Maharaja was paired with The Great Khali upon his arrival in WWE. After a few years with the former world champion, Mahal started his singles career. However, he didn’t have much success and was quickly repackaged as part of 3MB with Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre. The group was a comedic act on the show and got some screen time.

During an exclusive interview with Inside The Ropes, Mahal discussed his release from the company under Vince McMahon’s leadership in 2014. The star recalled that the news came out of the blue. He added that WWE executive Mark Currano called to inform him of the release.

Mahal noted that it was a difficult conversation, and he was upset after the call. He felt 3MB had barely gotten started, and he got cut just when his career was taking off.

“I got a full, packed calendar. All of 3MB is on a packed calendar; we’re on every show. I got a call in the morning, I can’t remember what day it was. It was actually Mark Currano.” He continued, “He’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve got some bad news for you. Creative doesn’t have anything for you right now, we have to release you.’ Yeah, that’s a tough call. Your stomach sinks in. It’s a very tough call. At that point in my career, I hadn’t done much. 3MB was the best thing I had done. It felt like we had done nothing. So yeah, that was the phone call I got. I was on my own for two years.”

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Jinder Mahal also spoke about his second stint with WWE

Mahal revealed that during the latter part of his hiatus, he started putting more effort into bodybuilding and nutrition. The star mentioned that WWE reached out to him after two years, stating that it needed his services after the brand split.

Mahal felt the difference when he was competing on Main Event in 2016. He recalled that Vince McMahon would often compliment him and felt that the star was hungry and putting in the work.

Remember when Jinder Mahal actually won the WWE Championship? 😭

That crowd reaction was pure shock…… nobody believed it was real for a second👌 pic.twitter.com/V6jfWyXYB8

— Chris ⚡ (@IconicChriss) October 19, 2025

Mahal felt this paved the way for his world championship run in 2017, which led to memorable feuds with Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, and AJ Styles.