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BY SACNILK

Jacob Fatu has opened up about the advice Randy Orton gave him shortly before his WWE debut, recalling how surreal it was to see one of his childhood wrestling heroes backstage on the biggest day of his career. During his appearance on What’s Your Story with Steph McMahon, Fatu discussed his first experiences inside WWE and the support he received from several established stars. Fatu recalled being backstage shortly before his debut when he saw Orton standing in Gorilla position. “So right before my debut, we're walking out. It's the biggest day of my life. And Randy's right there in gorilla,” Fatu said. Despite being on the verge of making his own WWE debut, Fatu admitted that he was still a fan when he saw Orton. “I don't really know Randy like that,” Fatu recalled. “But I'm like, dude, he's hella big. This is Randy Orton, man.” Fatu explained that he has always been a fan of professional wrestling and believes that genuine passion for the business is important. “I'm a fan at the end of the day,” Fatu said. “And if you not a fan of what you love to do, this ain't your job. You're doing the wrong thing.” Fatu then revealed the advice Orton gave him as he prepared to begin his WWE career. According to Fatu, Orton wanted to help him adjust to life inside WWE and gave him some straightforward advice about handling his finances. “Randy told me this, like, hey, man, because I love your Uncle Umaga so much, in order for me to help y'all to tap back in, I'm gonna tell you right now, save your money and pay your taxes.” The advice came at an important point in Fatu's life. After a difficult journey to WWE, he was finally getting the opportunity he had dreamed about, and he was entering a locker room filled with experienced performers. Fatu has previously spoken about the support he received after joining WWE, particularly from members of his family and established stars. He said the experience had been filled with “love and respect” since he arrived.

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Mumbai, August 14 - The Independence Day weekend box office battle between Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 and Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 is turning into a one-sided affair with the former taking a big lead over Deol's period drama in the morning shows on its opening day. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The Emraan Hashmi-led actioner has opened up a significant lead in advance bookings. The sequel clocked over 11 crore in advance sales, while Batwara 1947 has managed approximately 4+ crore. This gave Awarapan 2 a lead of more than 7 crore and already put it well ahead of the Sunny Deol starrer even before the first shows begin. The strong response to Awarapan 2 can be attributed to the cult following of the 2007 original, with Emraan Hashmi's return to the franchise generating considerable nostalgia. The film is also positioned as a dark romantic actioner, giving it a different appeal from Batwara 1947, a period drama centred on the Partition era. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Considering the initial response, Awarapan 2 is expected to score almost 3x that of Batwara 1947 and with the positive word of mouth coming from the initial shows sets up the stage for the massive opening weekend for Rajkumar Santoshi's directorial, which could be well over 75 crores net. For Batwara 1947, the slower advance sales are certainly a concern, particularly given Sunny Deol's post-Gadar 2 box office standing. However, the Rajkumar Santoshi-directed film has a strong Independence Day setting, and if the word of mouth is positive, it has the potential to do well at the box office. But as things stand, Awarapan 2 has taken a commanding lead in the opening-day battle and is expected to be the clear winner in the long run.

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Mumbai, August 15 - The Independence Day weekend witnessed a major Bollywood box office clash between Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 and Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947, and the former has emerged as the clear winner on opening day. The sequel to the 2007 cult favourite has delivered a career-best start for Emraan Hashmi, while Sunny Deol's Partition drama has struggled to convert the patriotic weekend into a strong theatrical opening. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Awarapan 2 opened at around 21.50 crore net in India on Friday, marking the biggest opening of Emraan Hashmi's career. The film registered an overall theatre occupancy of around 45.73%, with the night shows witnessing particularly strong momentum. Its worldwide gross stood at approximately 28 crore on Day 1, giving the film a strong platform heading into the Independence Day holiday. In comparison, Batwara 1947 collected only around 5.75 crore net in India on its opening day. The Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta starrer was expected to benefit from the Independence Day period and its patriotic theme, but it could not generate sufficient momentum at the ticket window. The film's opening is roughly one-fourth of Awarapan 2's Day 1 collection, highlighting the massive gap between the two releases. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The result is particularly significant because Batwara 1947 had the advantage of Sunny Deol's strong patriotic image and a release timed perfectly around Independence Day. However, Awarapan 2 benefited enormously from nostalgia surrounding the original film, Emraan Hashmi's comeback appeal and strong pre-release buzz. The sequel had already established a substantial lead in advance booking before release, and that advantage translated directly into opening-day numbers. The box office battle is far from over, though. August 15 is a major national holiday, and Batwara 1947 has an opportunity to improve its collections through walk-ins and positive word of mouth. Awarapan 2, meanwhile, enters the holiday with a huge lead and is now strongly positioned to dominate the Independence Day weekend. For Emraan Hashmi, this is a major career revival, while Sunny Deol's film faces the challenge of recovering from a surprisingly low start.

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Paige and Nikki Bella’s feud has become increasingly personal following a shocking betrayal at SummerSlam. At SummerSlam, Paige teamed with Nikki and Brie Bella against Fatal Influence in a six-woman tag team match. Fatal Influence won when Jacy Jayne pinned Paige with the Rolling Encore. After the match, Paige appeared to believe the situation was over and raised the Bellas’ arms in a show of respect. Instead, Nikki attacked Paige from behind. Brie Bella then joined Nikki in the assault before Nikki hit Paige with the Rack Attack 2.0. Nikki made it clear that she believed Paige had taken her place, telling her not to take her spot again. The betrayal stemmed from a much longer story. Nikki and Brie had originally returned to WWE with the goal of capturing the Women's Tag Team Championship. However, when Nikki was unable to compete at WrestleMania 42, Paige returned to WWE and replaced her, teaming with Brie to win the titles. The Bellas later lost those championships to Fatal Influence, further increasing Nikki’s resentment toward Paige. At SummerSlam, that tension finally boiled over into the post-match attack. Nikki subsequently explained that she blamed Paige for the tag team title loss and believed Paige had taken advantage of her opportunity with Brie. She also threatened to make Paige’s remaining WWE career miserable. In an EXCLUSIVE(WWE's YouTube Channel), Paige sets the record straight for Nikki Bella following this week's SmackDown episode, accusing Nikki of trying to change the story surrounding their relationship. “Nikki, since you decided to try and rewrite history last week, let's set the record straight.” Paige rejected Nikki’s claim that she was responsible for revitalizing her career, pointing out that she spent eight years working to make her WWE return happen. She also strongly denied Nikki’s accusation that she had been using the Bella family for her own benefit. Paige explained that Nikki was actually the person who contacted her before WrestleMania and asked her to help Brie. “Did I come begging to be an honorary Bella for my big return after being gone for nearly a decade? No, you called me.” Paige said she agreed because she cared about Brie and wanted to be there for her. She also accused Nikki of not being there for her sister when Brie needed her. The SummerSlam loss became another major point of disagreement between them. Nikki blamed Paige for what happened, but Paige argued that she had actually saved Nikki from being pinned twice during the match. Paige then suggested that Nikki’s actions were not really about protecting Brie. Instead, she believes Nikki is angry because Paige has taken the position Nikki once held alongside her sister. “You act like you're doing this to support your sister, but really, you're just jealous that someone else took your spot, and did it.” Despite Nikki’s warning that she would make her career miserable, Paige refused to back down. She made it clear that she believes she has earned her place in WWE and intends to remain there. “This is my house, and I plan on being here for a very long time.”

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Chelsea Green refused to give up her championship on the August 14 episode of WWE SmackDown, delivering an emotional speech about everything she had sacrificed throughout her wrestling career. Green was confronted by SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, who was dealing with the difficult situation surrounding her injury. Rather than quietly accepting the medical decision, Green made it clear that she believed the championship belonged to her until somebody physically took it away. With the crowd firmly behind her, Green recalled the sacrifices she had made to reach the position she was in. “You know how much I've sacrificed to be here. I have missed the weddings. I've missed the funerals. I have broken bones. I have left all my blood, sweat, and tears in this ring.” Green continued by listing some of the unusual and painful situations she had endured during her career, including putting her face through birthday cakes and pies, being thrown into dumpsters and having the entire world laugh at her. She explained that despite everything, she continued telling herself that the sacrifices would eventually be worth it because she would one day reach this moment. “But every night when I got into bed, I told myself it was all worth it because this moment would come. And now here we are. I made it.” Green then compared her situation to Aldis' own experience at SummerSlam, pointing out that he had recently experienced a major career moment surrounded by his wife and son. She argued that both situations represented the same idea — proving that outside opinions did not matter. “What matters is what we think about us.” Green insisted that she had earned the right to call herself a champion and refused to surrender the title simply because of her injury. Aldis initially maintained that he was doing what was medically appropriate as SmackDown General Manager. However, he then separated his professional responsibilities from his personal feelings. “As Nick Aldis the man, I don't give a damn what medical says.” Aldis ultimately decided to give Green a chance to remain champion. He granted her 30 days to get medically cleared, obtain a protective face mask if necessary and do whatever was required to return to competition and defend the championship. Aldis made it clear that, in his view, Green would remain champion until somebody actually defeated her for the title. “But as far as I'm concerned, until someone takes this from you, this is yours.”

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WWE legend Haku is reportedly set to appear on tonight’s episode of SmackDown in Boston, continuing his surprising return to WWE programming. According to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, Haku is already in Boston ahead of tonight’s show and is expected to appear. However, Johnson noted that it has not been confirmed whether the 67-year-old has returned to WWE in a full-time capacity. Haku previously made his surprise WWE return on the July 31 episode of SmackDown, appearing alongside his sons Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga, formerly known as Hikuleo. WWE’s official results confirmed that Haku watched as Tama and Talla attacked WWE Tag Team Champions Damian Priest and R-Truth, along with The War Raiders. The appearance marked Haku’s return to WWE television as part of an active storyline involving his sons. During the segment, the legendary wrestler reminded Tama and Talla of their Tongan heritage and encouraged them to make their presence felt in WWE. Haku is one of the most recognizable veterans in wrestling history. He competed in WWE under names including King Tonga and King Haku and was also part of The Colossal Connection with Andre the Giant, with the team winning the WWE World Tag Team Championship in 1989. His connection to the current storyline is personal, as Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga are his sons. Talla previously wrestled as Hikuleo before joining WWE. Now, with Haku reportedly back in Boston, fans could see him once again standing alongside his sons. Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga are scheduled to challenge Damian Priest and R-Truth for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match that also includes The War Raiders. Haku’s presence could therefore play an important role in the match and the ongoing storyline involving his family.

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It has been widely expected, ever since The New Day decided to leave WWE after turning down a 50% pay cut to stay, that Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods would be winding up in AEW. The Young Bucks have wanted to do a program with them for years — and now, months after the split, that dream match feels closer than ever. The New Day's exit wasn't a typical release — it was the result of a stand. Kingston and Woods had signed five-year contract extensions with WWE back in 2025, doing so without even shopping around for offers from AEW or other promotions, widely seen as a genuine show of loyalty to the company. Just a year later, TKO came back and asked them to restructure those deals at a reduced rate, reportedly giving them only two days to decide. Both men chose to walk instead, leaving millions on the table from the remaining four years of their contracts. The New Day's situation wasn't isolated. Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer confirmed reports that at least one major-name WWE wrestler agreed to a 50% pay cut around the same time, with sources noting the wrestlers being targeted were often those earning well into seven figures — talent who "simply couldn't earn anywhere near $1 million elsewhere," limiting their leverage to push back. Multiple reports indicate the number of wrestlers approached about cuts was under half a dozen, largely veterans, including some recovering from injury, whom the company reportedly would have released outright had they refused. How WWE handled the departure reportedly stung people behind the scenes. The company quietly moved both Kingston and Woods to the alumni section of its website without any public acknowledgment of their contributions — no farewell, no statement. One WWE source told Fightful Select they were "disgusted" by the lack of recognition. A joint statement marking the departure had apparently been planned internally but never materialized. Interest from AEW's side has been an open secret. Multiple people within the company reportedly pushed for New Day to be signed, with insiders noting frustration among talent over how WWE handled the exits of players like New Day and Santos Escobar — wrestlers who'd signed extensions in good faith within the past year. The Young Bucks haven't been subtle about their excitement. AEW's Dynamite has featured Matt and Nick Jackson wearing light blue shirts with pink-and-white accents — an unmistakable nod to New Day's classic color scheme. Matt Jackson has since confirmed publicly that a Young Bucks vs. New Day dream match is "at play," calling it something he'd "counted off as a possibility" until now. As of mid-August 2026, the deal isn't officially confirmed, but nearly every signal points the same direction. The New Day's 90-day non-compete clause was expected to expire around the start of August, with some reports suggesting a debut as early as AEW Collision on August 1, or shortly after SummerSlam if not. Speculation continues to swirl around a possible arrival tied to a Young Bucks/Christian Cage & Adam Copeland trios angle, with several outlets floating AEW All In: London at Wembley Stadium as a potential landing spot for the big reveal.

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Santino Marella has opened up about his time at Ohio Valley Wrestling and revealed how CM Punk immediately caught his attention long before either man became a major WWE star Speaking to Cody Rhodes on What Do You Wanna Talk About?, Marella reflected on the unique group of wrestlers who came through OVW during the mid-2000s. The developmental territory was home to several future WWE stars, including Rhodes, Punk, Beth Phoenix, John Morrison, Deuce and Domino, and others. Marella admitted that he initially did not understand why everyone at OVW was so excited about Punk. However, that changed quickly once he saw Punk in person and watched him wrestle. “I remember when Punk first came because I didn't watch Ring of Honor and this guy, CM Punk, CM Punk. And I'm like, why is everyone freaking out over this guy?” Marella then explained that Punk had something that was difficult to teach — an aura that immediately separated him from his peers. “And then I see him and he like literally had like an aura around him.” The former WWE star said Punk's wrestling ability made the impression even stronger. Marella recalled watching him perform and realizing that Punk was already operating at a level that many developing wrestlers were still trying to reach. “And then I watched him wrestle. I'm like, are they expecting me to become that good? He was already good.” Punk arrived in OVW in 2005 after establishing himself on the independent wrestling scene, particularly through Ring of Honor. He quickly became one of the standout performers in WWE's developmental system. His OVW run was not simply a period of learning the basics. Punk became a champion in the territory, winning the OVW Television Championship in November 2005 before eventually capturing the OVW Heavyweight Championship in May 2006. Marella also explained that the OVW locker room was packed with talent. Cody Rhodes recalled the atmosphere as well, noting that the group included several wrestlers who would eventually become important names in WWE. The former Intercontinental Champion said that when Punk arrived, he did not initially understand the reaction from the other wrestlers because he had not followed Punk's work in Ring of Honor. But after seeing him perform, Marella understood exactly why people were talking about him. Marella's own WWE career followed a very different path. While Punk became known for his serious, outspoken persona, Marella became one of WWE's most recognizable comedy characters. His in-ring career came to an end in July 2014 after he suffered his third significant neck injury. Marella announced his retirement at a WWE live event in Toronto, telling the crowd that his age and recurring neck problems could mean it was the end of his WWE in-ring career. WWE reported at the time that Marella hoped to remain involved with the company in another capacity. However, his association with WWE continued for another two years. Marella made several appearances for the company after his retirement, including as a guest General Manager, before WWE officially released him on May 6, 2016. WWE confirmed that Marella was among several performers released that day.

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Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal has opened up about the current life of his former WWE colleague Veer Mahaan, revealing that the wrestler has stepped away from professional wrestling and the pursuit of fame. Mahal discussed Veer's decision during an interview with Denise Salcedo, where he was asked about several Indian wrestlers and their journeys in professional wrestling. Veer Mahaan, who previously competed in WWE alongside Shanky and Mahal, was known for his imposing appearance and athletic background. However, according to Mahal, Veer has taken a completely different path since leaving WWE. Mahal revealed that Veer has largely distanced himself from wrestling and the fame that came with being a WWE Superstar. “He kind of just walked away from it. He’s just living a very spiritual lifestyle now. He’s got a guru, he’s very detached from all the material things.” Mahal explained that Veer's current lifestyle is dramatically different from the world of professional wrestling, where wrestlers spend much of their careers chasing championships, recognition and financial success. “He's very detached from all the material things,” Mahal said, describing Veer's decision to pursue a more spiritual life. Despite Veer's decision to walk away, Mahal believes the former WWE Superstar had plenty of potential left to explore in wrestling. Mahal spoke positively about Veer's athletic ability and the unusual path that eventually brought him to WWE. “He was very athletic, very talented. His story was very interesting too. He grew up in India, then he went to the United States and played baseball.” Mahal pointed out that Veer's journey was already unusual before he entered professional wrestling. His transition from India to the United States, followed by his baseball career and eventual move into wrestling, gave him a unique background that WWE could have used to tell his story. However, Mahal suggested that Veer's priorities have changed considerably. Rather than continuing to chase success in wrestling, Veer has chosen to focus on spirituality and a life away from the spotlight. The decision is particularly notable because Veer was once positioned as a significant part of WWE's attempt to feature more Indian talent. His WWE presentation emphasized his size, strength and athletic background, but his run with the company ultimately did not develop into the major singles career that some expected.

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Mumbai, August 14 - Superstar Yash's much-awaited Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is entering the final stretch of its promotional campaign with strong hype building ahead of its worldwide theatrical release on August 26. The film marks Yash's return to the big screen after KGF: Chapter 2, making it one of the most anticipated Indian releases of the year. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) The recently released trailer has given the film's buzz a major push. The trailer crossed 50 million views and 1 million likes within just 24 hours, becoming only the second Yash trailer after KGF: Chapter 2 to achieve the milestone. The strong digital response underlines the enormous curiosity surrounding Yash's return, with the trailer's dark world, violent action, stylish presentation and intriguing characters generating considerable discussion among audiences. The momentum has also extended beyond YouTube, with Toxic crossing 800,000 interests on BookMyShow, reflecting strong audience anticipation ahead of release. The Hindi market is particularly interesting from a trade perspective, with the film currently expected to open in the 20 crore net range. However, the absence of major direct Hindi competition on August 26 gives the Yash-starrer considerable room to outperform these early projections if the word of mouth turns positive. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}) Another talking point is the film's adult-oriented presentation. The film has received an 'A' certificate, with the runtime clocking over the three-hour mark. This makes Toxic another major star vehicle embracing a lengthy theatrical runtime, which is increasingly becoming a trend among big-ticket Indian films. With less than two weeks remaining for its theatrical release, Toxic has built a strong pre-release foundation through Yash's star power, the impressive trailer response and growing audience interest. The real test now begins on August 26, when the trailer-generated hype has to translate into strong footfalls across the pan-India market.

BY SACNILK

Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal has revealed that his memorable confrontation with The Rock on WWE Raw generated more messages and phone calls than the night he won the WWE Championship. Mahal discussed the moment during an interview with Denise Salcedo, reflecting on the January 1, 2024 episode of Raw, where he unexpectedly found himself sharing the ring with one of the biggest stars in WWE history. The segment began with Mahal delivering a heated promo in which he complained about being disrespected and criticized the United States. He was then interrupted by The Rock, who returned to WWE and quickly turned the segment into a memorable verbal exchange before taking down Mahal. Looking back at the reaction to the segment, Mahal revealed that the response was surprisingly bigger than what he experienced after becoming WWE Champion. “More people messaged me after that promo with The Rock than when I won the WWE Championship. Yes. Yes. Yes. I guess it was a bigger moment. More people saw it. You’re in the ring with The Rock, like the most recognizable name in all of entertainment—or in anything—in the whole entire world.” Mahal explained that his perspective was somewhat different because, as a professional wrestler, he was simply doing his job. Even though becoming WWE Champion was obviously a major achievement, the reaction to the Rock segment showed him how much mainstream attention can come from sharing a moment with a superstar of The Rock's stature. Mahal also revealed that he did not have much time to prepare for the segment. He said he learned only a couple of days beforehand that The Rock would be involved. “I was just told, ‘Hey, you’re going to go out there and then Rock’s going to crash.’ That’s it. That’s all I was told.” The promo itself was written by former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz. Mahal recalled receiving the material on the morning of the show and initially questioning whether some of the lines could actually be delivered on WWE television. “It was kind of talking trash about the United States and the way things are here. And I thought, ‘We can’t do this on WWE TV.’ I asked him, like, ‘Brian, are you sure?’ He’s like, ‘Yes, I’m sure. This is what we’re doing.’ I was like, ‘Okay, let’s go.’” The segment would ultimately become one of the most talked-about moments of the show, with Mahal playing an important role in The Rock's return. Mahal also recalled meeting The Rock before the segment and being impressed by how prepared the Hollywood star was. According to Mahal, The Rock had already memorized his material while Mahal was still going through his lines with a piece of paper. “At that time, Rock already had the promo memorized. I was still going to talk to Brian about it, but Rock wanted to rehearse. He’s hitting his lines. I’m still reading from a piece of paper.” Despite the pressure of working with The Rock, Mahal believes he delivered one of the strongest promos of his career and showed fans a side of himself that they had not seen before. “I really felt like I held my own and I showed the WWE Universe and WWE management a different side of me, a different promo style.” Mahal admitted that WWE ultimately did not capitalize on the momentum from the segment, but he has no regrets about being part of it. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t capitalize on it, but all good. It was a great moment.” The former WWE Champion also revealed that The Rock later sent him a voice message thanking him for his contribution to the segment.

BY SACNILK

Former WWE Champion Jinder Mahal has revealed that Vince McMahon personally approved an unexpected television opportunity he received while working for WWE. Mahal discussed the story during an interview with Denise Salcedo, explaining that he was offered a role on ABC's Big Sky around 2020. Rather than waiting for the usual process to play out, Mahal decided to go directly to McMahon. “I got offered to go on a TV show. It was probably around maybe 2020,” Mahal recalled. “I got offered to go on a TV show and I just went straight to Vince.” The former WWE Champion revealed that the show was Big Sky, which aired on ABC. “It was on ABC. It was a show called Big Sky. And I just went to Vince directly and just asked him in his office and he said, ‘Yeah.’” Mahal then informed WWE talent relations that he already had McMahon's approval. “So then I went to [talent relations] after that and I told him Vince already said yes. And there was still a little bit of a hold up, but nonetheless, we got it pushed through.” Despite receiving permission from McMahon, Mahal revealed that WWE did not use the opportunity to promote him. “I just did it and WWE didn't advertise it or push it or anything, but I got to do a TV show.” Mahal believes the situation was particularly notable because outside opportunities for WWE wrestlers were viewed differently during McMahon's era. “At that time it was a little bit of a taboo thing to do,” Mahal explained. “Just Vince was in a good mood that day. He could have easily have said no.” The former WWE Champion also offered his perspective on why McMahon was sometimes protective of WWE talent pursuing opportunities outside wrestling. “I've always felt that WWE and Vince, he was protective,” Mahal said. “He didn't want someone to maybe leave the wrestling business or get too big, too famous, and then you all of a sudden have to pay them more and give them less dates.” According to Mahal, that dynamic has changed considerably in WWE today. He believes wrestlers now have significantly more opportunities outside the company and more control over their careers. “But right now I feel that wrestlers really do have a lot of power,” Mahal stated. “There's other leagues that have started that are around, other viable options for wrestlers to pursue careers in.” Mahal also pointed to mainstream exposure as something that can benefit both wrestlers and wrestling companies. “Overall, it's all good for wrestlers. Again, exposure, mainstream exposure is both good for the wrestler and the wrestling promotion.” His comments provide an interesting look back at how outside entertainment opportunities were handled during his WWE career—and how much the landscape has changed since then.