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What's the story?
The Great Khali made his return to WWE at Battleground 2017, helping Jinder Mahal to overcome Randy Orton and retain the WWE Championship. Khali choked Randy out as Mahal escaped the Punjabi Prison, before celebrating with the Modern Day Maharaja at the top of the ramp.
The Great Khali has also been added to the active roster on WWE.com. And if reports fare to be believed, the former World Heavyweight Champion could have a match or two in WWE.
In case you didn't know...
The Great Khali, real name Dalip Singh, signed with WWE in 2006, becoming the first Indian professional wrestler to do so in the process. The giant made his televised debut just a few months later, attacking The Undertaker and establishing himself as a major force on WWE SmackDown.
Khali's went on to have an eight year run with WWE, winning the World Heavyweight Championship and having high profile matches against John Cena, Batista, The Undertaker and others. It was Khali who introduced the Punjabi Prison match to WWE, and it was the Punjabi Prison that brought The Punjabi Nightmare back to the promotion at Battleground.
The heart of the matter
Cagesideseats.com is speculating that Khali may well be back for more than just a one night deal. The site is reporting that Khali has been brought up to shore up support for WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in India.
Bryan Alvarez has also speculated that Khali and Jinder could be in line for a tag team match at SummerSlam, most likely against Randy Orton and another high profile American Superstar.
Those watching on Sunday night may well have assumed that The Great Khali was back for one night only due to the Punjabi Prison, but the 7 ft 1 in superstar may well be back for a while yet.
What's next?
More will be revealed on the next episode of WWE SmackDown Live. The show will almost certainly include a Jinder celebration, and we'll know whether Mahal's feud with Randy continues or whether a new challenger stands up. In all likelihood, The Great Khali will be alongside the WWE Champion.
Author's take
WWE is in a truly dire place right now. The reason Jinder Mahal isn't getting over as hoped is that he is a heel. If WWE wants to create a major Indian superstar, they should have presented a babyface.
Bringing The Great Khali back to improve the situation should tell fans all they need to know about the state of WWE in summer 2017.
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