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Indian sports fans have grown up watching the likes of The Rock, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, and many more hardcore superstars battle it out in the ring, outside the ring, and everywhere in between. Noting the entertainment sports’ popularity in the country, WWE has made a concentrated effort to bring Indian wrestlers in WWE (or of Indian origin) into their fold.
One of the largest untapped markets for WWE is India. And now these desi performers have created quite an impression in the world of sports entertainment. Whilst WWE continues to broaden its roster, we take a look at 13 Indian wrestlers in WWE who have made it big.
List of top 13 Indian Wrestlers In WWE
| S.N | Indian Wrestlers in WWE |
| 1. | Kavita Devi |
| 2. | Mahabali Shera |
| 3. | Kishan Raftar |
| 4. | Akam |
| 5. | Shanky Singh |
| 6. | The Singh Brothers |
| 7. | Saurav Gujar |
| 8. | Rinku Singh Rajput |
| 9. | Giant Zanjeer |
| 10. | Guru Raaj |
| 11. | Jinder Mahal |
| 12. | The Great Khali |
| 13. | Gama Singh |
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Kavita Devi
| Name | Kavita Dalal |
| Born | 20 September 1986 (age 34) |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m |
| From | Malvi, Jind District, Haryana, India |
| Ring Name | Hard KD |
| Debut | 2016 |
Why should boys have all the fun? Meet Kavita Dalal, fondly known as Kavita Devi. She is the first Indian woman wrestler who took our national flag to WWE. She is also an Indian International powerlifting athlete who bagged a Gold medal in South Asian Games. WWE in 2017 announced that Devi had signed a contract and she began her training in January 2018.
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Devi is married to basketball player Gaurav Tomar and has a son named Abhijeet. Kavita considers ‘Great Khali’ as her main inspiration. She has appeared in WWE’s special events, mainly in the women’s royal rumble.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Mahabali Shera
| Name | Amanpreet Singh Randhawa |
| Born | 17 October 1990 (age 30) |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| From | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Ring Name | Mahabali Shera |
| Debut | 2011 |
We know this name may not be as popular enough even for WWE fans. But the Indian wrestler was part of the company. While Mahabali Shera might not be in WWE, he was one of the most promising stars to have ever wrestled. He looked like he might be the face of Indian Wrestlers in WWE in the future but unfortunately, it was not to be. According to reports, he was released from WWE.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Kishan Raftar
| Name | Lovepreet Sangha |
| Born | 10 June 1988 (32 years) |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (183 c.m) |
| From | Moga, Punjab, India |
| Ring Name | Kishan Raftar |
| Debut | 2015 |
Indian wrestler, Lovepreet Sangha was once a very popular renowned WWE star. Currently, he is retired from the game. Lovepreet Sangha was popularly called Kishan Raftar in the rings. He was part of WWE’s NXT brand. After The Great Khali, Sangha was the only 2nd Indian pro-wrestler to be a part of WWE. After signing with the WWE. he made his debut on 26 September 2015 in the battle of the royal match. The match was won by Baron Corbin and Samoa Joe. On January 15th, 2016 he defeated Jason Jordan. Following his winning streak, Raftar defeated Chad Gable, Jason Jordan’s partner in the tag team event. Raftar ended his contract with WWE on May 13, 2015.
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Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Akam
| Name | Sunny Dhinsa |
| Born | May 20, 1993 (age 28) |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| From | Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada |
| Ring Name | Akam |
| Debut | April 4, 2015 |
Sunny Dhinsa, popularly known as Akam, is a professional Indian-origin Wrestler. He made his WWE debut in April 2015 on NXT. His deadly moves, Pumphandle Death Valley Bomb, made him very popular in no time. In 2011, 2012, and 2013 he won the Canadian national freestyle wrestling championship. The team of Razar and Akam won the WWE Raw Tag Team Title & WWE NXT Tag Team Championship. The duo also won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic event in 2016.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Shanky Singh
| Name | Gurvinder Singh Malhotra |
| Born | June 19, 1991 (age 29) |
| Height | 7 ft 1 in (216 cm) |
| From | Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Ring Name | Dilsher Shanky |
| Debut | 2015 |
Gurvinder Singh Malhotra, the famous Indian wrestler in WWE, popularly known as Shanky Singh. Gurvinder is a former CWE World Heavyweight Champion. In 2015, when was just 24, he joined Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE). He won CWE’s first royal rumble match on February 28, 2016, in Dehradun, India, against super Khalsa. Later, in the year 2020, he was selected by the WWE. On September 5, 2016, Shanky won the Battle Royal.
Indian Wrestlers In WWE: The Singh Brothers
The Bollywood Boyz, aka The Singh Brothers, are professional wrestlers from Canadian (Indian Origin). Gurvinder Sihra and Harvinder Sihra, both were popular as Bollywood Boyz or The Singh Brothers in WWE. In the year 2017, Gurv and Harv made their debut in WWE Smackdown. The duo’s inaugural match was in the Global Cruiserweight Series tournament. Gurvinder Sihra began his training in 2004 and made his wrestling debut in the Ohio Valley Wrestling tournament in Oct. 2005.
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Indian Wrestlers In WWE: Saurav Gujar
| Name | Saurav Gurjar |
| Born | 1985/1986 (age 35–36) |
| Height | 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) |
| From | Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Ring Name | Deadly Danda |
| Debut | 2011 |
Saurav Gurjar is best known for his role as the mighty Bheem in the TV show Mahabharat. He earned more fame when he started playing in WWE NXT matches. Gujar began his combat sports career by winning Gold in the State Kickboxing Championship in Indore, M.P in 2007. In the year 2018, he signed an agreement with WWE. Saurav Gujar was popular by the ring name Deadly Danda. In his debut match, he beat an opponent named Puma.
Rinku Singh Rajput
| Name | Rinku Singh |
| Born | 8 August 1988 (age 32) |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) |
| From | Orlando, Florida, United States |
| Ring Name | Veer |
| Debut | 2018 |
Rinku Singh Rajput gained popularity after winning the reality TV contest- Million Dollar Arm in 2008. He was then signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates and played in minor baseball leagues for several years. Rinku Singh Rajput had a movie made after him named Million Dollar Arm.
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Later, he switched to professional wrestling after signing with NXT in 2018. He made his debut in WWE in a single match against Kassius Ohno. Sooner, he was put in a tag team event partnered with Sourav Gurjar. The duo made their TV debut earlier in 2020.
Giant Zanjeer
| Name | Sukhwinder Singh Grewal |
| Born | 8 August 1988 (age 32) |
| Height | 7’2” |
| From | Jagraon, Punjab |
| Ring Name | Zanjeer |
| Debut | 2019 |
7 feet 2 inches tall, Giant Zanjeer is the largest Indian athlete to appear in WWE after The Great Khali. Giant Zanjeer’s real name is Sukhwinder Singh Grewal. His native place is Jargaon, Punjab. Sukhwinder was selected for WWE Developmental Contract in 2019 after appearing in WWE India Tryout in Mumbai. To participate in the mega event he got himself trained by another Giant Great Khali.
Guru Raaj
Guru Raaj is India’s first high-flying wrestler in WWE. His real name is Laxmikant Rajpoot. Guru belongs to the Banda district in Uttar Pradesh.
Jinder Mahal
| Name | Yuvraj Singh Dhesi |
| Born | July 19, 1986 (age 34) |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) |
| From | Amritsar, Punjab, India |
| Ring Name | Tiger Raj Sing |
| Debut | 2002 |
Jinder Mahal is the latest sensation in WWE, having achieved quite good success in the WWE ring. We are talking about ‘Modern Day Maharaja’; Jinder Mahal (original name: Yuvraj Singh Dhesi). The six feet tall ruled the WWE circuit as he won the WWE Championship title many times especially in 2017-18. The Indo-Canadian professional wrestler made his debut in 2010. After a short-lived coalition with his storyline brother-in-law The Great Khali, Mahal was then mostly utilized as enhancement talent during his initial career with WWE, forming the group 3MB with Heath Slater and Drew McIntyre before both Mahal and McIntyre were released from the WWE in 2014.
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However, Mahal made a comeback in WWE two years later with a dramatically improved body condition and received a push following WrestleMania 33. From there on, he never looked back. Interesting fact: He is the first United States champion of Indian descent.
The Great Khali
| Name | Dalip Singh Rana |
| Born | 27 August 1972 (age 48 |
| Height | 7 ft 1 in (216 cm |
| From | Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, India |
| Ring Name | Tiger Raj Sing |
| Debut | 2000 |
This list is incomplete without one of the famous wrestlers not only in India but around the globe. Yes, you guessed it right; The ‘Great Khali’. Dalip Singh Rana who hails from Himachal Pradesh has been one of the masterpieces of WWE. Before entering in wrestling, he was an officer for the Punjab state police. Do you know that he has played a role in four Hollywood films, two Bollywood films, and several television shows?
The eighth tallest professional wrestler in history became World Heavyweight Champion in 2007.
Gama Singh
Only a few of you may know him. Gadowar Singh Sahota from Punjab joined his father in Canada at the age of 9. Known to the wrestling world as Gama Singh, he excelled in amateur wrestling as a teenager.
He began his professional wrestling training in the early 1970s under the legend, Stu Hart. In the early 1980s, he started wrestling for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He performed mainly at untelevised events in WWF. He was a solid mat-wrestler, occasionally scaling the ropes.
Unfortunately, his WWF career did not take off but his work does not go unnoticed in other promotions. Jinder Mahal is his nephew.
WWE is one of the famous sports entertainment in India. George Barrios, WWE’s CFO revealed the information to the CNBC host Jim Cramer that the number 1 country that consumes WWE video content in the world is India. One of the reasons for this is the multitude of Indian wrestlers who have plied their trade in a foreign land.
