During an interview on the “TMZ Inside The Ring” podcast, former WWE Champion Raj Dhesi (fka Jinder Mahal) offered his extensive perspective on AEW, including the infamous tweet from its president, Tony Khan, the company’s influence on the wrestling business, and which of its stars he would like to face in the future.
The Context Behind The Tweet
The situation occurred in January 2024. At the time, AEW President Tony Khan had been facing online criticism from some fans and media for booking AEW wrestler Hook, who had a limited win-loss record on major AEW television shows, in a World Championship match against Samoa Joe.
A few days later, WWE booked Dhesi, who similarly had not won a televised match in a significant amount of time, in a World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins on Monday Night Raw.
Seeing the parallel, Khan posted on X (formerly Twitter) to call out what he perceived as a double standard among those who were criticizing his booking of Hook but were silent about WWE’s booking of Dhesi. The tweet was a direct defense of his own creative decisions, using a competitor’s booking to highlight a perceived hypocrisy in the online wrestling discourse.
Dhesi’s Reaction: No “Bad Blood”
When asked on the podcast if there was any “bad blood” between him and Khan as a result of the tweet, Dhesi’s said that he viewed the entire situation not as a personal attack, but as a business move that benefited all parties by drawing more attention to their respective products.
No, no, it was good…it was good for me, it was good for WWE. It was good for my title match with Seth, and it was good for AEW, and good for Hook’s match with Samoa Joe. He was getting a title shot against Samoa Joe. It just created more buzz.
Future with AEW
Dhesi also revealed that his only personal interaction with the AEW President was a positive one and that he would be open to working for the company, provided the circumstances were right for his career. “I would have to see if the business makes sense. What’s the storyline? Is there a plan for me, or am I just coming to do nothing?” he explained. “I’m past that point in my life, past that point in my career. Whatever I do, I want to do something next level… I don’t want to just coast anymore”.
AEW’s Influence and His Viewing Habits
Dhesi credited AEW, alongside WWE and TNA, for the current health of the independent wrestling scene, noting that the success of the major promotions has a direct impact on the entire business. “The style has definitely changed there. So, you know, it trickles down to the independents,” he said. He also made it clear that he keeps up with the AEW product, stating, “I watched a little bit. I do a good job of keeping track of what’s going on in wrestling. Do I sit and watch the entire show? No, but I kind of see through social media what’s going on”.
Potential AEW Opponents
His awareness of the current scene extends to the talent he’d like to work with. When asked for a list of wrestlers he would like to face, Dhesi named several top stars from AEW and WWE.
Strickland, Swerve Strickland I’d like to face. MJF… Penta is not a new guy or a young guy by any means… Penta is awesome.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit TMZs Inside The Ring with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
