Indian Wrestlers in WWE: Indian sports fans have watched athletes like The Rock, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve grow up. Hard-core superstars such as Steve Austin and John Cena engage in combat both inside and outside the ring, as well as in between. Given the popularity of entertainment sports in the nation, WWE has worked hard to add Indian wrestlers to their roster or wrestlers of Indian descent.
India is one of the biggest unexplored areas for WWE. And currently, the field of sports entertainment has had a significant impact on these Desi performers. While WWE is still expanding its roster, we look at 13 Indian wrestlers who have achieved success in the organization.
List of Top 13 Indian Wrestlers In WWE
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Kavita Devi
Why should the fun be limited to boys? Introducing Kavita Dalal is also referred to as Kavita Devi. She is the first female Indian wrestler to represent our country in the WWE. In the South Asian Games, she won a gold medal in powerlifting as an international athlete from India. Devi secured a contract with WWE in 2017, and in January 2018, she started training.
Devi is the mother of Abhijeet, the son of basketball player Gaurav Tomar. Kavita views the “Great Khali” as her primary source of inspiration. Her most notable appearance in a WWE special event was during the women’s Royal Rumble.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Mahabali Shera
Even among WWE fans, this moniker might not be as well-known as it could be. However, the wrestler from India was a member of the group. Mahabali Shera was one of the most promising wrestlers of all time, even though he may not be in the WWE. Sadly, it was not meant to be. He had the appearance of becoming the face of Indian wrestlers in the WWE. Reports state that he was let go by WWE.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Kishan Raftar
Lovepreet Sangha, an Indian wrestler, was formerly a well-liked and well-known WWE star. He is no longer playing the game at this time. In the ring, Lovepreet Sangha was known as Kishan Raftar. He belonged to the NXT brand of WWE. Sangha was the only other Indian professional wrestler to be a part of the WWE after The Great Khali. He made his WWE debut on September 26, 2015, in the battle of the royal match, following his signing. Samoa Joe and Baron Corbin became victorious in the bout. The 15th of January, 2016 saw him overcome Jason Jordan. In the tag team competition, Raftar defeated Jason Jordan’s partner, Chad Gable, after going on a winning streak. On May 13, 2015, Raftar’s WWE contract expired.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Akam
Akam, often referred to as Sunny Dhinsa, is a professional wrestler of Indian descent. In April 2015, he debuted on NXT in the WWE. Pumphandle Death Valley Bomb, one of his deadly skills, made him extremely well-liked very fast. He was the Canadian national freestyle wrestling champion in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The WWE Raw Tag Team Title and the WWE NXT Tag Team Championship were won by Razar and Akam’s team. In 2016, the pair also took home the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic title.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Shanky Singh
The well-known Indian wrestler in the WWE, Gurvinder Singh Malhotra, is also referred to as Shanky Singh. The previous CWE World Heavyweight Champion was Gurvinder. At the age of 24, he became a member of Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE) in 2015. In Dehradun, India, on February 28, 2016, he defeated Super Khalsa in CWE’s inaugural royal rumble match. Subsequently, the WWE selected him in 2020. The Battle Royal was won by Shanky on September 5, 2016.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: The Singh Brothers
The Singh Brothers, often known as the Bollywood Boyz, are Canadian professional wrestlers of Indian descent. Both Gurvinder and Harvinder Sihra gained notoriety in the WWE as The Singh Brothers or as Bollywood Boyz. Gurv and Harv debuted on WWE Smackdown in the year 2017. The pair’s first encounter took place in the Global Cruiserweight Series competition. In October 2005, Gurvinder Sihra made his professional wrestling debut at the Ohio Valley Wrestling event, having started his training in 2004.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Saurav Gujar
The most well-known role of Saurav Gurjar is that of the powerful Bheem in the television series Mahabharat. When he began competing in WWE NXT contests, he became even more well-known. In 2007, Gujar started competing in combat sports and won the gold medal in the State Kickboxing Championship held in Indore, MP. He entered into a contract with WWE in 2018. Deadly Danda was the ring name that made Saurav Gujar famous. He defeated Puma in his first-ever bout.
Rinku Singh Rajput
Following his victory in the 2008 Million Dollar Arm reality TV competition, Rinku Singh Rajput rose to fame. After that, he got a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and spent several years playing in the minor leagues. Million Dollar Arm is the film titled after Rinku Singh Rajput.
He eventually made the transition to professional wrestling after joining NXT in 2018. In a single match, he made his WWE debut against Kassius Ohno. Soon after, he and Sourav Gurjar were paired for a tag team competition. Early in 2020, the pair debuted on television.
Giant Zanjeer
After The Great Khali, Giant Zanjeer is the tallest Indian athlete to have ever appeared in the WWE at 7 feet 2 inches. The true name of Giant Zanjeer is Sukhwinder Singh Grewal. He was born in Punjab’s Jargaon. Sukhwinder participated in the WWE India Tryout in Mumbai and was chosen for a WWE Developmental Contract in 2019. Another Giant Great Khali trained him so he could take part in the major event.
Guru Raaj
India’s first accomplished wrestler in the WWE is Guru Raaj. He goes by Laxmikant Rajpoot in real life. Guru is from the Uttar Pradesh district of Banda.
Jinder Mahal
With some impressive success in the WWE ring, Jinder Mahal is the newest phenomenon in the company. We are discussing Jinder Mahal, a.k.a. “Modern Day Maharaja” (actual name: Yuvraj Singh Dhesi). The six-foot-tall dominator of the WWE circuit, particularly in 2017–18, won the WWE Championship title multiple times. 2010 saw the debut of the Indo-Canadian professional wrestler. Following a brief alliance with his fictional brother-in-law The Great Khali, Mahal spent the majority of his first tenure with the WWE as an enhancement character. He later formed the trio 3MB with Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre, and both McIntyre and Mahal were let go from the company in 2014.
But two years later, Mahal returned to the WWE, his physique much better, and he was given a boost after WrestleMania 33. He never looked back after that. Fascinating fact: He is the first Indian-born champion in US history.
The Great Khali
Without mentioning any of the well-known wrestlers from India and around the world, this list would be lacking. You guessed it correctly—the “Great Khali.” Himachal Pradesh-born Dalip Singh Rana is regarded as one of the WWE’s greatest performers. He was an officer in the Punjab state police before he started wrestling. Are you aware that he has appeared in multiple television series, two Bollywood films, and four Hollywood productions? In 2007 one of the tallest professional wrestlers in history achieved the title of World Heavyweight Champion.
Gama Singh
He may be unknown to most of you. At nine years old, Gadowar Singh Sahota, a Punjabi, traveled to Canada to live with his father. Known as Gama Singh in the wrestling community, he was a standout amateur wrestler in his adolescent years.
He trained under legendary Stu Hart for professional wrestling in the early 1970s. He began competing for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the early 1980s. He mostly appeared in WWF untelevised events. He could occasionally climb the ropes and was a competent mat wrestler.
Although his WWF career did not succeed, his efforts are acknowledged in other promotions. His nephew is Jinder Mahal.
In India, WWE is a well-known sports entertainment brand. India is the nation that watches WWE video material the most globally, according to information provided by George Barrios, CFO of WWE, to Jim Cramer of CNBC. The large number of Indian wrestlers who have made their living abroad is one of the causes of this.
FAQs:
Who are the top Indian wrestlers in WWE?
The top Indian wrestlers in WWE include The Great Khali, Jinder Mahal, and Kavita Devi, among others.
Who was the first Indian wrestler to win a WWE championship?
Jinder Mahal became the first Indian wrestler to win a WWE championship in 2017.
Which Indian wrestler gained worldwide fame through WWE?
The Great Khali is an Indian wrestler who gained immense popularity and worldwide fame during his time in WWE.
Have any Indian female wrestlers made a mark in the WWE?
Kavita Devi is one of the notable Indian female wrestlers who made it big in WWE.
