WWE surprised everyone when Jinder Mahal was given a lengthy run as WWE Champion, though it was widely reported that the decision stemmed from the company's hopes to expand into India.
However, as the Modern Day Maharaja, Mahal did good work and proved himself a capable heel it was easy to root against. Ultimately, he'd lose the title to AJ Styles and, in the months which followed, started slipping down the card. Since then, we've seen him - and various allies - receive stop-and-start pushes across RAW, SmackDown, and NXT.
A few weeks ago, Mahal returned to RAW for a confrontation with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. That led to him clashing with World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins during last Monday's episode and, tonight, Mahal will get his first title shot in several years.
Talking on WWE's The Bump, the former WWE Champion talked candidly about feeling overlooked in recent years.
"I feel great, but at the same time I feel a little offended," he admitted. "More or less, I have been overlooked. What's the word I'm looking for, the word I'm looking for — yeah, I feel overlooked. I'm really frustrated at the fact, you know, I was doing my part of helping the next generation, focusing on Indus Sher."
"I see all of these superstars like CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Cody Rhodes, really being the highlight of 'Raw,' and it seems to be that the people have forgotten the 'Modern Day Maharaja.' The man who was once the WWE Champion, and I think it's time to step back into that spotlight to become champion once again."
Elsewhere in the show, Mahal was asked why he thought Rollins forgot him when looking for new challengers. "Again, I feel overlooked. Overlooked by the WWE Universe and by the WWE itself," he stated. "For example, when was the last time that you saw the Modern Day Maharaja's face on any promotional material? PLE posters? We got these trucks that tour the United States, never is the face of the 'Modern Day Maharaja' been presented anyway."
He'd later reveal that, by defeating Rollins and becoming World Heavyweight Champion, the hope now is to change the way he's perceived. Considering the fact Mahal recently trended on social media after AEW President Tony Khan's latest X meltdown, we'd say there's a very good chance this is the start of bigger things to come for him in WWE.
You can watch the full interview with the Modern Day Maharaja in the player below.