Satender Dagar, better known by ring name Jeet Rama has accused World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to be biased towards Indian wrestlers. The former WWE star was a limited roster performer and was released by the company last month. Rama, a three-time winner of the prestigious Hind Kesari (wrestling tournament) made his WWE debut in January 2016, defeating Chad Gable.
“WWE is a business at the end of the day. I can’t tell them to make business decisions around me,” Rama said in an interview with Sportskeeda.
“They are doing what they think is right from a business perspective. But why is it that you take any Indian WWE wrestler…why are they always made heels? Why are we presented only as villains? Why do they have to behave in such a manner that the audience there insults them and boos them?,” the former NXT star said.
“My soul couldn’t come to peace with the fact that I was making money by misrepresenting my country. When I wrestled at a WWE Live Event a few years ago in Delhi, I saw that the Indian audience was booing Jinder Mahal. Isn’t there something seriously wrong if your home audience isn’t cheering for Jinder Mahal? At some level, we as Indians have to compromise when we go to WWE. This is the weakness I want to eliminate,” he added.
The entertainment business has been criticised in the past for several issues. Dalip Singh Rana, better known by The Great Khali was also portrayed as a heel in the WWE having won the World Heavyweight Championship during his time in the company. CM Punk, a product of the company, has also crticised their policies in the past.
Punk and several other fellow stars including Chris Jericho have left the company on bad terms. The All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has emerged as a major competitor to WWE. While the tussle continues in WWE, the Indian contingent of wrestlers looking for a career will have to rethink as there is hardly any hero’s future for any aspirant wrestlers.
