Disclaimer: The views represented in this article are my own and don’t represent the official views of Sportskeeda.
The Great Khali is quite possibly WWE’s greatest import ever.
The big man hailing from India towered over all of his opponents being 7 feet 3 inches tall and made quick work out of anyone that dared crossed his path during his initial run.
When Khali debuted in the WWE he was an unstoppable monster. He took out The Undertaker on his debut and began a reign of terror as a true monster heel, the likes of which the WWE Universe hadn’t seen in a very long time and hasn’t seen since.
A unique character, Khali even blossomed after his face turn and gave the WWE Universe a lot of memorable moments as a loveable character while he was still around.
Khali’s contract with the WWE ran out in 2014 and wasn't renewed by the company, Khali left and hasn’t returned since then.
However, the WWE Universe has been clamouring to see the Giant return to the company for one last time and today at Sportskeeda we’re going to take a look at 5 reasons why WWE should bring back The Great Khali.
#1 His global appeal
The Great Khali is extremely well recognised all over the world. You may accredit his popularity to his incredible physical stature or to the booking that he had received upon his debut in the WWE, but one thing’s for certain, the Punjabi Giant turns heads and sells tickets wherever he goes.
Despite his almost non-existent verbal skills, Khali is quite possibly the only Superstar who doesn’t have to say a word to get the fans cheering (or booing) for him as his mere presence does the trick.
He transcends all barriers of language and culture and this is what makes him a Superstar with true global appeal. Khali can be wrestling anywhere in the world, with fans of any background, language or culture watching him and they would still be in awe of the giant wrestling in front of them.
It’s the kind of appeal very few can hope to replicate.
Khali just inspires awe and wonderment. Heck, even the top 10 most viewed videos on WWE’s YouTube channel feature two videos of Khali with almost 80 Million combined views, let that be a testament to the global appeal and popularity of this man.
Here’s one of the said videos, featuring Khali’s WWE debut:
Next, let’s take a look at why The Great Khali is so unique.
#2 He is irreplaceable
Standing at 7 feet 3 inches tall and weighing over 400 pounds, The Great Khali is one of the largest athletes to have ever graced the spectacle of professional wrestling. Not only does Khali tower over all of the current WWE Superstars, but the characters that he represented are also irreplaceable.
Ever since Khali left, the WWE have been struggling to replace him with other giants and physically impressive Superstars. Their efforts, while appreciated, have largely been in vain.
WWE have tried booking wrestlers such as Vladimir Kozlov, Rusev, Ryback, Ezekiel Jackson, Braun Strowman etc. in the monster heel role, they’ve also made attempts to book people like Big Cass in the “friendly giant” role, but neither of these wrestlers have managed to fill in the giant shoes left behind by the big man, not by a long shot.
Khali, despite his shortcomings in the squared circle, was an incredibly intimidating monster heel, the stuff of nightmares for many. He struck fear in the hearts of his opponents and dominated them in competition, making quick work of most of them.
Seeing a loveable babyface defeat the Goliath-like heel Khali inside the squared circle truly felt like a momentous occasion, something that a victory over someone like Rusev just doesn’t quite manage to replicate.
Here’s a video of the end of John Cena’s infamous match against The Great Khali at One Night Stand 2007, where Cena came out with the win. The impact of the victory can be felt to this day and this was the win that laid the foundations of the “Super Cena” character that John Cena later came to be known for:
Khali’s “gentle giant” face version is also unmatched in terms of execution, ever since he left. The face turn brought out his inner personality which was that of a jovial, fun-loving, gentle human being who loved to spread joy and cheer.
Big Cass and the like who have tried to fill that void just don’t compare.
#3 His in-ring experience is immense
The Great Khali has been a professional wrestler for over 17 years. It has all he has done in his life and being a professional wrestler has taken him all over the world.
Khali has wrestled for promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan, where he registered victories over Japanese pro wrestling legends such as Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kenzo Suzuki.
Khali also wrestled in Mexico, under the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre promotion, for a brief period. He also once signed with WCW, a few months before the promotion folded.
Over the course of his storied career, the man has truly been to places. But not only has Khali wrestled all over the world, he also wrestled some of the best and most popular wrestlers in the WWE.
Khali’s impressive resume consists of matches with The Undertaker, John Cena, Triple H, Kane, Batista, Rey Mysterio, Edge among many others. Khali triumphed over most of his opponents and whenever he was brought down, it was as a result of well-contested matches, except for the later part of his career.
Nobody should ever expect a man like Khali to move around like a Cruiserweight (or like Brock Lesnar), but the man has wrestled in some memorable matches (such as the aforementioned John Cena match at One Night Stand) and has done justice to all of them.
Khali truly put his opponents over and anyone who bested him came out looking extremely strong in the process. A lot of present-day WWE Superstars (John Cena included) owe a chunk of their build, mystique and appeal to having registered victories over the big man.
He might have lumbered around the ring, but Khali was never meant to be an in-ring technician, he was a destructive force of nature and that was the only way of booking him right. Regardless of his lack of in-ring finesse, Khali never legitimately injured anyone in the ring.
Khali’s in-ring experience is immense and matched by very few.
Next, let’s talk about Khali’s origins.
#4 He is the only truly Indian Superstar to have ever made it to the WWE
Khali hails from India, the second most populous country and one of the biggest markets for the WWE in the world. The WWE enjoys massive popularity in the subcontinent and The Great Khali is a big reason why.
Khali is the only truly-Indian Superstar to have ever made it to the big leagues of the WWE. Although Indian-origin Superstars such as Tiger Ali Singh, Jinder Mahal, The Bollywood Boys etc. have also competed for the company, none of them could connect to the Indian masses like Khali could.
Khali is the one and only actual representative of the great country of India that the WWE has ever had, and that reason alone should warrant having him in the company in some capacity.
Here’s a video showing a small glimpse of just how popular Khali really is in India:
He represents the massive legion of WWE’s Indian fanbase and makes them vicariously live in the product through him as well. Having Khali in the WWE as a representative of India is truly best for business.
Let’s take a look at the last (and most important) reason why The Great Khali deserves to be back in the WWE.
#5 He deserves a proper send-off
Whether you like him or not, you cannot deny that The Great Khali is a legend of the professional wrestling business and will always be one.
One of the most physically impressive Superstars to have ever walked down the ramp into the squared circle, Khali has had a long, storied pro wrestling career despite his physical issues and his lack of proficiency in the ring.
Khali was a true company man for the WWE, having never switched promotions and doing exactly what he was told throughout his time with the company.
After his monster heel push was over, he was put in ludicrous gimmick after ludicrous gimmick and terrible storyline after terrible storyline, but the man kept his head down and worked right through all of it, with as much conviction as he possibly could.
Khali has served the WWE and has given the WWE Universe everything that he had. The man has had injuries, surgeries, life-threatening procedures and yet always came back to be there for the company and the fans that he loved working for.
He went on tours, performed at hundreds of live events, drew crowds wherever he went and was a workhorse through all of it. The Great Khali was there for the WWE whenever they needed him and he did whatever he could, the best he could, without any complaints or tantrums of any kind.
By all accounts, Khali was also incredibly loved backstage during his time with the WWE and got along with all his fellow wrestlers.
However, despite everything he did for the company, the WWE released Khali in 2014 after his contract ran out with little fanfare. Khali quietly left, started his own wrestling school in India and has led a relatively quiet life since.
A beacon of professionalism, the big man has always had good things to say about his former employer, despite never quite getting his dues. Khali has never once bad-mouthed the WWE or the way he was booked, on the contrary, he has always been thankful instead.
In conclusion, Khali needs to return, not because he’s an impressive physical specimen or for some other juvenile reason.
He needs to return to the WWE so he could have a proper send-off, one that would serve as a fitting tribute to the fabled career that the Punjabi Giant has had and for all his contributions to the WWE and the wrestling business as a whole.
We hope that Khali returns, gets one last run in the WWE and retires with a Hall of Fame induction because if there’s one man that truly deserves it, it’s him.
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