Indian sports fans have watched athletes like The Rock, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve growing 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. And currently, the field of sports entertainment had a significant impact on these Desi performers. While WWE is still expanding its roster, we look at Indian WWE wrestlers who have achieved success.
Here’s the list of Indian WWE Wrestlers:
The Great Khali
One of the most renowned Indian WWE wrestlers is known by the moniker “The Great Khali.” There was no need for a presentation for Khali. He was one of the most dangerous wrestlers on the WWE roster at the height of his career. He attacked the Undertaker during his crucial big-time debut and established himself as a formidable force in the WWE. There were more Indian WWE wrestlers on the WWE roster during Khali’s peak. His argument with The Undertaker and John Cena was extremely important. He is currently working with CWE (Mainland Wrestling Amusement), an Indian promotion, to further his claim wrestling career.
Jinder Mahal
One of the most successful Indian WWE wrestlers in the history of the WWE is Jinder Mahal. In 2011, Jinder Mahal faced The Great Khali to make his WWE debut. Before he joined the stable known as “3MB,” his WWE career had a lackluster beginning. As a result, WWE released Mahal in 2014. He won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Randy Orton at Backlash 2017—this was his greatest triumph in the company. Mahal expanded his resume at WrestleMania 34 by winning the WWE United States Championship. Although he has not been seen on television in a few months, he is currently a member of the WWE SmackDown roster.
Kavita Devi
Kavita Devi (Dalal) is a weightlifter who competed in the 2016 Asian Games and earned a gold medal for India. The Great Khali then signed her to work for Continental Wrestling Entertainment, his Indian wrestling brand. WWE then chose Kavita to compete in the 2017 Mae Young Classic Tournament. She became the first Indian WWE wrestlers in history after making an impression during the tournament and getting signed by NXT. Additionally, she is the first Indian female wrestler to appear at WrestleMania. Even though Kavita subsequently refuted those rumors, she hasn’t stopped appearing on WWE TV.
Tiger Ali Singh
Tiger Ali Singh is a professional wrestler of the second generation, having been born in Canada. Tiger Ali Singh joined WWE in 1997 following his initial training and work with NJPW. He is nevertheless one of the Indian WWE wrestlers to appear in WWE matches. His WWE career got off to a spectacular start when he won the Kuwait Cup in a live event in Kuwait. But after the Attitude Era began, he was the only one to receive frequent appearances on WWE TV. Among his most memorable moments in the WWE were his victory against Edge at Capital Carnage in 1998 and his subsequent appearance at Royal Rumble in 1999. Singh said that the injury he sustained on the trip ended his career.
Jeet Rama
Jeet Rama’s real name is Satender Dagar, Jeet Rama received his training in traditional Indian freestyle wrestling in his native state of Haryana. After witnessing his talent, WWE reached out to him, and in 2015, he signed a contract with NXT. At a live event in New Delhi, Jeet Rama is one of the Indian WWE wrestlers who defeated Chad Gable to make his in-ring debut. Rama participated in multiple NXT live events as a competitor, and for a brief while, he even formed a tag team with Kishan Raftar. Prior to his release in November 2021, Rama participated in 205 Live and Superstar India Spectacle.
The Singh Brothers
Another Indo-Canadian duo that has been on WWE TV for a while is called The Singh Brothers. Although the brothers began their wrestling careers in 2005, they didn’t join WWE until 2016. In 2016, Sunil Singh and Sameer Singh joined NXT and were primarily employed in the cruiserweight class. As Jinder Mahal’s henchmen, they were brought up to the main roster and assisted him in winning the WWE Championship. They recently participated in the 24/7 Championship, which Sameer won four times and Sunil five times. In 2021, the two were let go by WWE.
Gama Singh
Although Gardowar Singh Sahota did not reside in India for very long, he is nevertheless one of the Indian WWE wrestlers to appear in WWE matches. Gama Singh was employed by WWE from 1980 and 1986. In 1985, he made two appearances on WWE TV, including Tuesday Night Titans and Prime Time Wrestling, when he defeated Johny Rodz. Other than that, though, he has primarily worked Middle Eastern undercard and WWE tours. He had a lengthy career with Stampede Wrestling before joining WWE, and following his tenure there, he worked with the NWA. Jinder Mahal, the former WWE Champion, has him as an uncle.
Rinku Singh
The fact that Rinku Singh Rajput won the 2008 pitching competition for the reality TV series Million Dollar Arm made him famous. He was also the subject of the film Million Dollar Arm. After facing Kassius Ohno alone in his debut bout, he was quickly added to a tag team alongside Sourav Gurjar. Later on, Veer was placed in an all-Indian stable on WWE RAW alongside Shanky and former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal. He had a brief stint on RAW as a heel, mostly working squash bouts. He is currently being drafted back into NXT to work alongside Saurav or Sanga.
Saurav Gurjar
Despite Sourav Gurjar’s 2011 wrestling success with Ring Ka King of TNA, he didn’t make it to the WWE until 2018. In 2018, Saurav was chosen for NXT as a part of the program’s initial trials in India. Alongside fellow Indian recruit Rinku Singh, the former National Kickboxing Champion makes his NXT debut. On March 25, 2020, the squad, then known as Indus Sher, made its television debut. Sourav Gurjar participated in the Superstar Spectacle India show. Before making a comeback to NXT in 2022 as Sanga, he was sidelined for over a year.
Mahabali Shera
Mahabali Shera made her debut with the Ring Ka King promotion from TNA. In the ring, he even captured the RKK World Heavyweight Championship as Mahabali Veera. His work impressed TNA so much that they invited him to their USA show. Mahabali Shera joined NXT in 2018 after working for TNA until 2017. However, he only worked a few live shows under WWE’s developmental brand before returning to Impact in 2019. He is currently a member of the Desi Hit Squad of Gama Singh.
Conclusion
India’s influence on the sport of wrestling cannot be understated, as the nation has produced some of the world’s best wrestlers. Indian WWE wrestlers have established themselves in the WWE and raised awareness of wrestling both domestically and internationally, from Khali to Jinder Mahal. Future generations of wrestlers in India and beyond will continue to draw inspiration from the legacy of the top ten Indian WWE wrestlers in history, who have made a lasting impression on the business.