Jinder Mahal Talks Facing AJ Styles On SmackDown Live, Putting On More Muscle For Brock Lesnar Match
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal recently took part in an interview with the Wrestling News Source podcast, WNS Podcast. During the interview Mahal discussed his preparations for facing Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles being a distraction, his time away from WWE, relationship with Vince McMahon and more.
You can download and listen to the full podcast by clicking here, they sent us these highlights:
Facing Brock Lesnar at The Survivor Series:
"He's a household name, he's the beast incarnate. But, I feel I still don't have the same respect I should be getting from the WWE Universe. From our fans. So, in fact, I have to tame the beast. I am the beast tamer Jinder Mahal. That's what I am going to be known as once I conquer the beast. But yeah this is the biggest match in my career thus far. Brock Lesnar is definitely my toughest opponent thus far but there is a reason I am the modern-day Maharajah and the reigning defending undisputed WWE champion. I heard the comments Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman made about me and they're not taking me too seriously which in fact I'm kind of glad because that's my game plan that's what I do, people underestimate me and then I surprise them."
How he is preparing for Lesnar:
"A lot of it is physical because Brock is such a physical opponent. His hard-hitting style, his suplexes. He's going to try and take me to suplex city. So definitely my conditioning. I'm going to be going into this match in the best possible shape of my life. Training very hard, dieting very hard. I've actually put on 20 pounds of muscle. I know it's going to be a tough match and I'm going to be as heavy as possible so he can't suplex me and toss me around. But like I said earlier, he's underestimating me and I'm going to shock him and surprise him with my strength, my speed, my power and I'm going to have the Singh brothers with me, my advocates. So it's going to be great. But we also have War Games kicking off on Saturday, November 18, Raw after Survivor Series is going to be awesome, then I will also be at SmackDown live the Tuesday after Survivor Series in the Toyota Center. Obviously, I will still be there as WWE champion and it's going to be a great event I'm looking forward to returning to Houston."
If facing AJ Styles on SmackDown is a distraction ahead of his match with Lesnar:
"No not at all. I'm very focused on Brock but as champion, everybody's coming after you. Guys like Baron Corbin, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Randy Orton. SmackDown has such a stacked roster, such a talented roster, upcoming guys like Bobby Roode. But, I've got to stay focused and my main goal is WWE champion for as long as possible and going down in history as one of the greatest champions of all time. In order to do that, I must defeat the Universal Champion. The man, the beast incarnate, Brock Lesnar."
The biggest change during his time away from WWE:
"It was just my motivation had changed. I had become complacent in WWE when I got released in 2014, I had become unmotivated. I wasn't driven, I was out of shape and just not focussed. Getting released in 2014 was the best thing that happened to me because I got to regain my focus, regain my pride and come back as the best-conditioned athlete there is in WWE which ultimately led me to become The single greatest WWE champion."