Former WWE Champion Raj Dhesi, formerly known as Jinder Mahal, revealed that he found it stressful to wrestle in front of CM Punk during their first run together in WWE.
Raj Dhesi and CM Punk shared the WWE locker room during Punk’s first stint with the company, and Dhesi admitted that Punk’s high standards and willingness to critique matches made him particularly nervous whenever Punk watched backstage.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Dhesi explained that he felt additional pressure knowing Punk could be paying close attention to his work.
“Just for me, personally, it was stressful when Punk was there,” Dhesi said. “I think it’s ’cause Punk wrestled at such a high standard … and he was vocal. While he’s watching, he would pick apart things.”
Dhesi stressed that Punk was not the only wrestler who would analyse others’ performances, but admitted there was something about Punk’s presence that made him feel more anxious.
“And again, it’s not unique to Punk. A lot of wrestlers do it. Just for some reason, I felt extra stress when Punk was there. I don’t know what it was.”
Raj Dhesi Recalls Pressure Of Wrestling In Front Of CM Punk
Looking back, Raj Dhesi believes CM Punk’s position as one of WWE’s top stars at the time may have contributed to the backstage atmosphere. Dhesi theorised that performers at Punk’s level were dealing with significant pressure, which could sometimes lead them to direct their frustrations toward other members of the roster.
For Dhesi, that raised concerns about potentially finding himself on the receiving end of criticism after one of his matches. Although he acknowledged that critiquing matches wasn’t unique to Punk, Dhesi recalled feeling added stress whenever the former WWE Champion was backstage watching him perform.
