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The Great Khali came to the WWE in 2006 in what was more or less an experimental project. Prior to his debut, WWE fans had never seen anything quite like him. Sure, there have been giants that had come through, but Khali was something unique, even for a big man.
Standing 7'3" while tipping the scales at just under 400 pounds, The Great Khali towered over every other WWE Superstar on the roster. He was unlike any other giant the sport had ever seen. With his massive size, it was obvious that the Punjab Native was extremely powerful, but he was also very unorthodox. However, for a Superstar as new and unique as The Great Khali, WWE officials always found a way to incorporate him into a storyline.
There's a misconception among most fans that Khali was nothing more than a joke and that for whatever reason, he never defeated anyone of real significance. That notion could not be further from reality. In fact, Khali spent many weeks atop the WWE Power Rankings, especially during his run as WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
In order to debunk the misconceptions surrounding The Great Khali and his time as an active WWE Superstar, we have assembled the following list of living legends that Khali has defeated throughout the years.
#5 Kane
It's pretty safe to assume that 2007 will always be considered the best year for The Great Khali, regarding his WWE career. During that year, Khali not only became WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but he would also engage in what was a very compelling 3-way feud with Kane and Batista.
At Wrestlemania 23, over 80,000 members of the WWE Universe assembled inside of Ford Field in Detroit saw two wrestling giants square off in a short, yet competitive contest. Kane actually picked the nearly 350 Khali up and body slammed him to the canvas. This provided fans with a nostalgic reminder of the infamous slam heard around the world when Hulk Hogan slammed Andre The Giant, in that very same city of Detroit at the now defunct Silverdome.
Khali countered with a chokeslam, which ended the bout and picked up a huge win over the legendary Kane. Khali also defeated the Big Red Machine and Batista in a triple threat match that same year at The Great American Bash.
#4 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio has always been one of the most inspirational Superstars of all-time. What he lacked in size, he always made up for with heart.
In 2006, JBL hand-picked The Great Khali to face World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio. Much to the delight of Bradshaw, Khali squashed the champ in a matter of mere moments. That victory was the catalyst for what would be a huge run for The Great Khali.
There's no disputing the legendary legacy that Rey Mysterio has built throughout his career. Even today, at 42 years young, Rey is still competing at an extremely high level. There have been rumours that Rey may very well return to the WWE before his career is completely over. While there's been no official confirmation, it would be nice to see Rey come back home for a farewell run.
#3 Shawn Michaels
There are not many names bigger than The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. The WWE Hall of Famer has been in the ring with a long list of iconic WWE Superstars from the past, as well as many of today's top Superstars.
In May of 2007, Khali faced Shawn Michaels in a no disqualification match on Monday Night RAW. Shawn held his own, briefly, but at one point, HBK attempted to dive off of the top rope, onto Khali, but the Punjabi Nightmare countered with a mid-air chop to the top of the dome. From that point forward, The Great Khali had complete control of the remainder of the contest.
In the end, Khali planted Michaels with a devastating Punjabi Plunge through the announce table, which ultimately ended the match, giving Khali a huge win over a huge name.
#2 Ric Flair
When it comes to living legends, or legends in general, they don't get much bigger than The Nature Boy Ric Flair; and in 2007, The Great Khali crossed paths with ol' Naitch.
At the time, Flair and Khali were representing Team Blue on the Smackdown roster. In fact, earlier in the year, The Great Khali was the number one overall pick from RAW over to the Smackdown roster. This was undoubtedly Khali's strongest period as a WWE Superstar. His massive presence was being used appropriately and effectively, as he was destroying everything that wasn't bolted to the ground.
During the August 10, 2007, episode of WWE Smackdown, The Great Khali took on WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair in a match that he dominated and won. The Khali Vice-Grip claw-hold was way too much for Flair to overcome. At the conclusion of the match, Batista attempted to come to Flair's rescue, only to be handled by Khali in a similar fashion and also received one of Khali's giant double-handed claw-holds as well.
#1 Undertaker
There is an exclusive fraternity within professional wrestling. This unique brotherhood consists of the very few men who have successfully conquered The Dead Man. Believe it or not, The Great Khali is a card-carrying member of this club.
At the 2006 Judgement Day pay-per-view in Phoenix, Khali was in full-blown, true-blue heel mode, and the heat he was drawing at the time was intense. On the other hand, The Undertaker was loved and adored by the WWE Universe much like he had been for most of his career.
During the Judgement Day bout between Khali and Taker, The Great Khali absolutely dominated most of the contest. However, Taker did manage to combat with a small flurry of his old school manoeuvres. But, following a failed chokeslam attempt by The Dead Man, Khali once again took control, this time for good. When the dust settled, The Great Khali came out on top with what many consider his biggest win of his career.
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