Dalip Singh
Encyclopedia
Dalip Singh Rana better known by his ring name
The Great Khali (महान खली), is a Rajput
-Indian
professional wrestler
, actor
, and powerlifter. He is best known for his time in WWE where he debuted alongside Daivari
and had minor alliances with Ranjin Singh and Jinder Mahal. However he spent most of his career as a singles main-event superstar and in 2007 he became the World Heavyweight Champion
. He is also a one-time Slammy Award winner.
Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he was a police officer
in the Punjab
state police. He won the "Mr. India" title in 1995 and 1996, and has appeared in three Hollywood films as well as two Bollywood
films.
, India
to Jwala Ram (father) and Tandi Devi (mother); he is one of seven sibling
s.
Although his parents are of normal stature, his grandfather was well over 6 ft 6 inches.. He is a Rajput
.
for All Pro Wrestling
(APW) in the United States, making his first appearance in October 2000, when teaming with Tony Jones
against the West Side Playaz.
(NJPW) by Team 2000 leader, Masahiro Chono
, as Giant Singh, along with another big man, Giant Silva. They were the tallest tag team in professional wrestling history at an average height of 7 foot 2½ inches, and a combined weight of 805 pounds. The two teamed up for the first time at the Tokyo Dome
in October, labeled Club 7 by Chono, and defeated Yutaka Yoshie
, Kenzo Suzuki
, Hiroshi Tanahashi
, and Wataru Inoue
in a Handicap Match when Silva pinned Tanahashi and Inoue at the same time. Singh suffered his first loss in a tag match in January 2002 after Hiroyoshi Tenzan
pinned him with a cradle. He suffered another big tag defeat during March, being pinned by Manabu Nakanishi
after a German suplex pin. His most critical loss came in August at Tokyo Nippon Budokan when, after a falling out, he was pinned by Silva in a singles match.
On 2 January 2006, Singh became the first India
n professional wrestler to be signed to a contract by World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE); he was assigned to their developmental federation, Deep South Wrestling, where he wrestled under his real name.
With Daivari
as his manager
, the unnamed Singh debuted on WWE television on the 7 April 2006 episode of SmackDown!, attacking The Undertaker and leaving him defenceless during his match with Mark Henry
, and thus causing a no-contest ruling. The next week he was introduced as The Great Khali. Daivari explained that he now finally had a client that would destroy The Undertaker (after Muhammed Hassan and Mark Henry had previously failed).
Khali made his in-ring debut on the 21 April edition of SmackDown!, defeating Funaki
.
On the 12 May edition of SmackDown!, Khali was John "Bradshaw" Layfield
's hand-picked opponent against World Heavyweight Champion
Rey Mysterio. Khali had a height advantage of two feet and a weight advantage of 250 pounds, and defeated Mysterio in a squash match.
In his match against The Undertaker at Judgment Day
, Khali defeated The Undertaker with a kick to the head after receiving some illegal help from Daivari. Khali continued on a rampage for several weeks, winning handicap matches, beating superstars up in a display of power, and mocking The Undertaker's signature pin and victory pose.
Khali then challenged The Undertaker to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash
. However, Khali was not medically cleared to compete in the match, and was instead replaced by Big Show
, who would end up losing to The Undertaker despite interference from Khali. After he was medically cleared, Khali would be challenged by The Undertaker to a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam
. The match was moved to the SmackDown! just prior to SummerSlam and was won by The Undertaker, giving Khali his first definite loss in WWE.
in a very quick match. Daivari's original theme music was used as well as his Persian
rants on the microphone. Afterwards, Moore was manhandled by The Great Khali. Daivari continued his ECW winning streak over the next several weeks with The Great Khali usually following up the contest with a chokebomb on Daivari's opponent. At December to Dismember, Daivari got a victory over Tommy Dreamer
following a roll-up. Dreamer then chased Daivari backstage; The Great Khali appeared and caught Dreamer, planting him on the steel ramp with a chokebomb.
On the 8 January episode of Raw
, Jonathan Coachman
announced that Khali had signed with Raw (without his manager Daivari), and would wrestle John Cena
in the main event. Khali won by disqualification after Cena took a steel chair
held by Armando Estrada and hit Khali with it. After the match, Khali chokeslam
med Cena to the mat and left the ringside area, leaving Cena prone to an attack by Umaga
.
On the 19 February edition of Raw, Khali demanded better competition after easily defeating The Highlanders
. Four days later on SmackDown!, Khali interfered in a Falls Count Anywhere Money In The Bank
qualifying match between Kane and King Booker
. Khali cost Kane the match, leading to a feud which would culminate with a match at WrestleMania 23
. In his first appearance at WrestleMania
, Khali defeated Kane at WrestleMania 23 after slamming him with the Khali Bomb. Right after the match, Khali choked Kane with a hook and chain.
, Edge
, and Randy Orton
(all three top contenders to the WWE Championship at the time) backstage. He then attacked WWE Champion
John Cena
as well, sending a message that he wanted Cena's title. The next week on Raw, Khali defeated Michaels in a No. 1 contender's match for the WWE Championship at Judgment Day
. At the event, Khali lost via submission for the first time ever, tapping out to John Cena's STFU. However, at Judgment Day, Khali's foot was under the rope when he tapped out, which went unnoticed by the referee. The next night on Raw, Khali expressed his outrage over the outcome via his newly established translator and manager, Ranjin Singh. At One Night Stand
, Khali lost to John Cena after he was FU'd off a crane bed. This would be the first time that The Great Khali had ever been pinned in a singles match.
On the 11 June edition of Raw, as part of the 2007 WWE Draft
, Khali was drafted from Raw to SmackDown! as SmackDown!'s first draft pick. He would soon enter a feud with Dave Batista in July. The two were scheduled for a match at The Great American Bash
, however, because Edge
vacated the World Heavyweight Championship
due to an injury, a twenty man Battle Royal
was held for the title on the 20 July edition of SmackDown!. Khali won after eliminating both Kane and Batista in one move, winning his first World Heavyweight Championship
. Khali dominated and defeated both Batista and Kane in a Triple Threat match that same week at The Great American Bash. Khali then debuted a new finisher called the "Khali Vise Grip" which he used to wear down Ric Flair
, Batista, and Kane. At SummerSlam
, Khali lost by disqualification when he used a steel chair but retained the title.
Khali then began a feud with Rey Mysterio after Mysterio won a "Championship Competition" making Mysterio the No. 1 contender. On the September 7 edition of SmackDown!, after Mysterio defeated Chavo Guerrero
in an "I Quit" match, Khali applied his Vice Grip on Mysterio until Batista came to the rescue. After the assault, General Manager Theodore Long
informed Khali that he would be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against both Rey Mysterio and Batista in a Triple Threat Match at Unforgiven
, which Khali lost to Batista after receiving a spinebuster. Khali challenged Batista to a rematch in a Punjabi Prison Match at No Mercy
in which Khali lost by failing to escape the Punjabi Prison before Batista.
In late 2007 and early 2008, Khali was put in a program with Finlay
usually trying to assault Hornswoggle
but with Finlay stopping him. Khali participated in a Elimination Chamber
match at No Way Out
, which was won by The Undertaker. At WrestleMania XXIV
, Khali participated in a twenty-four man battle royal in which the winner would receive a title match against the ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero later that evening. Kane won the battle royal and went on to win the title. Khali then began a short feud with Big Show. The feud culminated with a match at Backlash
where Big Show emerged victorious.
In July, Khali feuded with Triple H
over his WWE Championship. On the 25 July edition of SmackDown!, Khali won a battle royal also involving Big Show, Jeff Hardy
, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga and Montel Vontavious Porter, to earn the right to face Triple H at SummerSlam
. At the event, Khali lost to Triple H after receiving a Pedigree. Khali was given another opportunity to win the WWE Championship, when he faced Jeff Hardy to gain entry into the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven
. Triple H interfered in the Scramble qualification match, and aided Jeff Hardy with a chair shot to Khali, helping Hardy win and eliminating Khali from title contention.
aired a segment on www.jackassworld.com interviewing Khali with his translator. When Knoxville asked about Khali's "taliwacker
" Khali was upset and threatened to tip the interview table onto Knoxville. Khali later invited Knoxville to attend the 13 October episode of Raw, where Knoxville was attacked by both Khali and WWE Diva Beth Phoenix
.
Khali grew to take on a more "fun" persona; he and Ranjin Singh began hosting the weekly "Khali Kiss Cam", where Singh would summon ostensibly random women from the audience to kiss Khali.
The Great Khali feuded with Dolph Ziggler
, winning by disqualification after Ziggler attacked him with a steel chair. In the next few weeks, Khali lost to Ziggler by countout and disqualification after Ziggler made it look like Khali hit him with a steel chair. At The Bash
, Khali lost to Ziggler by pinfall, after Kane returned and attacked Khali. It was later revealed that Ranjin Singh was the Khali's brother. The feud with Kane resulted in a match at SummerSlam
, where Kane defeated Khali after Kane used Singh as a distraction, and performed a running DDT to Khali. Then Khali lost to Kane again at the first ever WWE Breaking Point
event.
Khali required knee surgery, so Kane "assaulted" Khali with the ring steps during a match so Khali could have time off. Whilst injured, Khali made a surprise appearance alongside Ranjin Singh, Ozzy Osbourne
and his wife Sharon on the 2 November edition of Raw, as a judge for the "Raw's Got Talent" segment. He made his official return on the 14 December edition of Raw teaming with Kane and Christian to defeat William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov.
On the 2 April edition of SmackDown, it was announced that Khali would be out of action for an undefined amount of time as he needed to spend time with his family and regroup his thoughts back in India. However, on the April 19 edition on Raw, he made an appearance by teaming up with special guest host MacGruber
in a 2-on-1 handicap match against Vladimir Kozlov as "Khaluber" (Khali dressed as MacGruber) which they won by intentional count-out.
As part of the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, Khali and Ranjin Singh were both drafted back to the Raw brand. After returning from his hiatus the previous month, Khali was announced by John Cena
to be a part of his team along with John Morrison, Chris Jericho
, Edge, R-Truth
and Bret Hart
to face The Nexus at SummerSlam
. On the 9 August episode of Raw however, Khali was assaulted and injured by The Nexus, thus removing him from the match. Following the attack, Khali then took another hiatus to compete in Bigg Boss
, in which he was the runner up on. He made his return at the 2011 Royal Rumble
though he was eliminated shortly by Mason Ryan. On the March 14 episode of Raw, after Khali defeated The Miz
by disqualification, Miz would assault Khali with a steel chair, which resulted in Khali suffering an injury. Khali won an interbrand dark match battle royal at WrestleMania XXVII
.
On 26 April, Khali was drafted to back to SmackDown as part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft. Khali returned on the April 29 edition of SmackDown, talking backstage with Jinder Mahal, who made his WWE debut that night. On the May 2 episode of Raw, Khali dressed up as the Tooth Fairy
at The Rock's birthday party.
On the May 6 edition of SmackDown, Mahal, unimpressed by how Khali and Ranjin Singh have been partaking in childish activities instead of winning matches, confronted Singh about his mismanagement of Khali. Mahal then interrupted a Khali Kiss Cam segment the following week, slapping Khali twice. On the May 20 edition of SmackDown, Mahal interrupted Khali's match against Jey Uso
, which lead to Khali leaving the ring to confront Mahal. Mahal would then slap Khali again, which made Khali re-enter the ring and defeat Jey Uso, and then assault Jimmy Uso
after the match.
On the May 27 edition of SmackDown, after being defeated by Kane
, Mahal came out and shoved Ranjin Singh. Khali then used his vice-grip on Singh, turning heel
in the process and forming an alliance with Mahal. Khali from then on acted as Mahal's bodyguard, assaulting Mahal's opponent's after his matches. On the July 1 edition of SmackDown, Ranjin Singh revealed that Mahal was their brother-in-law
and that if Khali didn't obey Mahal, then he would divorce Khali's sister and put his family back into poverty. On the September 9 edition of SmackDown, Khali and Mahal went against WWE Tag Team Champions
Air Boom
(Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston
) in a losing effort after Khali pushed Mahal, allowing Kingston to hit his Trouble in Paradise finishing move onto Mahal. After the match, Khali would walk away from Mahal, thus, turning face
again. Khali would face Mahal on the September 23 edition of SmackDown, in which he successfully beat Mahal.
On the September 30 episode of SmackDown, Khali faced World Heavyweight Champion
Mark Henry
, but kayfabe
suffered a fractured fibula. A few days later, following his contract with WWE is set to expire, Khali left WWE and returned to India to continue his career as an actor.
's Outsourced
. It was confirmed by WWE.com
mid April that Khali would appear on Disney Channel
TV program Pair of Kings
as Atog, a rock smashing giant who appears in the episode "Fight School".
gave him a lower evaluation for not avoiding injuries and told him to continue training. In addition, it was proven that Ong did not receive protective gear or supervision by All Pro Wrestling
(APW) staff. This second concussion ultimately proved fatal for him. As Singh inadvertently caused his death, Ong's family brought a lawsuit against APW. APW was found liable for recklessness after less than a day of deliberations, awarding the Ong family for damages of over $1.3 million.
goddess
Kali
, who is associated with eternal energy. Singh's training schedule consists of two hours of weight training
, morning and evening, every day. Singh's diet is unclear, as in some interviews it is claimed he maintains his size on a vegetarian diet, and in other interviews it is claimed he consumes vast quantities of chicken. He has however clarified that his diet constantly changes. He owns a hummer, due to his size.
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
The Great Khali (महान खली), is a Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
-Indian
Indian people
Indian people or Indisians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and powerlifter. He is best known for his time in WWE where he debuted alongside Daivari
Shawn Daivari
Dara Daivari is an Iranian American professional wrestler, currently performing on the American independent circuit as Shawn Daivari. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as simply Daivari and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Sheik Abdul Bashir.-Career:Daivari...
and had minor alliances with Ranjin Singh and Jinder Mahal. However he spent most of his career as a singles main-event superstar and in 2007 he became the World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. He is also a one-time Slammy Award winner.
Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he was a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in the Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
state police. He won the "Mr. India" title in 1995 and 1996, and has appeared in three Hollywood films as well as two Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
films.
Early life
Singh was born in Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Jwala Ram (father) and Tandi Devi (mother); he is one of seven sibling
Sibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
s.
Although his parents are of normal stature, his grandfather was well over 6 ft 6 inches.. He is a Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
.
Professional wrestling career
Under the ring name Giant Singh, Dalip Singh first became a professional wrestlerProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
for All Pro Wrestling
All Pro Wrestling
All Pro Wrestling Gym Wars is a professional wrestling television program produced by APW which originally aired weekly on Saturday mornings on KFTY Channel 50 in the San Francisco Bay Area, beginning December 5, 2009. The series features the professional wrestlers of All Pro Wrestling competing in...
(APW) in the United States, making his first appearance in October 2000, when teaming with Tony Jones
Tony Jones (wrestler)
Anthony "Tony" Jones is an American professional wrestler who competes in North American independent promotions, specifically California-based All-Pro Wrestling, Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Xtreme Pro Wrestling....
against the West Side Playaz.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (2001–2002)
In August 2001, Singh was brought into New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
(NJPW) by Team 2000 leader, Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
, as Giant Singh, along with another big man, Giant Silva. They were the tallest tag team in professional wrestling history at an average height of 7 foot 2½ inches, and a combined weight of 805 pounds. The two teamed up for the first time at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
in October, labeled Club 7 by Chono, and defeated Yutaka Yoshie
Yutaka Yoshie
, is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer in Japan, performing for promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Noah and Pro Wrestling Zero1...
, Kenzo Suzuki
Kenzo Suzuki
Kenzo Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro Wrestling and in the United States with World Wrestling Entertainment...
, Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi
is a Japanese professional wrestler who works primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the current IWGP Heavyweight Champion in his fifth reign.-Early life:...
, and Wataru Inoue
Wataru Inoue
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling.-Professional wrestling career:Inoue made his debut in 1999 on the Japanese independent circuit, then climbed the ladder to get to New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2004...
in a Handicap Match when Silva pinned Tanahashi and Inoue at the same time. Singh suffered his first loss in a tag match in January 2002 after Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name . With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the Real World Tag League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Climax Tag League in NJPW becoming in the only tag team which has done...
pinned him with a cradle. He suffered another big tag defeat during March, being pinned by Manabu Nakanishi
Manabu Nakanishi
is a Japanese professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.-Amateur wrestling career:...
after a German suplex pin. His most critical loss came in August at Tokyo Nippon Budokan when, after a falling out, he was pinned by Silva in a singles match.
Debut and Feud with The Undertaker (2006)
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n professional wrestler to be signed to a contract by World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWE); he was assigned to their developmental federation, Deep South Wrestling, where he wrestled under his real name.
With Daivari
Shawn Daivari
Dara Daivari is an Iranian American professional wrestler, currently performing on the American independent circuit as Shawn Daivari. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as simply Daivari and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Sheik Abdul Bashir.-Career:Daivari...
as his manager
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, the unnamed Singh debuted on WWE television on the 7 April 2006 episode of SmackDown!, attacking The Undertaker and leaving him defenceless during his match with Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
, and thus causing a no-contest ruling. The next week he was introduced as The Great Khali. Daivari explained that he now finally had a client that would destroy The Undertaker (after Muhammed Hassan and Mark Henry had previously failed).
Khali made his in-ring debut on the 21 April edition of SmackDown!, defeating Funaki
Shoichi Funaki
is a Japanese/American professional wrestler best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment, where he was a one-time Cruiserweight Champion and a one-time Hardcore Champion.-Early years :...
.
On the 12 May edition of SmackDown!, Khali was John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
's hand-picked opponent against World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
Rey Mysterio. Khali had a height advantage of two feet and a weight advantage of 250 pounds, and defeated Mysterio in a squash match.
In his match against The Undertaker at Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2006)
Judgment Day was the eighth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, Khali defeated The Undertaker with a kick to the head after receiving some illegal help from Daivari. Khali continued on a rampage for several weeks, winning handicap matches, beating superstars up in a display of power, and mocking The Undertaker's signature pin and victory pose.
Khali then challenged The Undertaker to a Punjabi Prison match at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2006)
The Great American Bash was the third annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
. However, Khali was not medically cleared to compete in the match, and was instead replaced by Big Show
Paul Wight
Paul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
, who would end up losing to The Undertaker despite interference from Khali. After he was medically cleared, Khali would be challenged by The Undertaker to a Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2006)
SummerSlam was the nineteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 20, 2006 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, and featured performers from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
. The match was moved to the SmackDown! just prior to SummerSlam and was won by The Undertaker, giving Khali his first definite loss in WWE.
ECW and Raw (2006–2007)
Daivari and The Great Khali were moved to the ECW brand officially when they made their ECW debuts on the 31 October 2006 edition of ECW on Sci Fi. Daivari beat "The Reject" Shannon MooreShannon Moore
Shannon Moore is an American professional wrestler, who is signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling . He is best known for his work with World Championship Wrestling between 1999 and 2001 and with World Wrestling Entertainment for several years in the 2000s.Moore befriended Matt and Jeff Hardy...
in a very quick match. Daivari's original theme music was used as well as his Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
rants on the microphone. Afterwards, Moore was manhandled by The Great Khali. Daivari continued his ECW winning streak over the next several weeks with The Great Khali usually following up the contest with a chokebomb on Daivari's opponent. At December to Dismember, Daivari got a victory over Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
following a roll-up. Dreamer then chased Daivari backstage; The Great Khali appeared and caught Dreamer, planting him on the steel ramp with a chokebomb.
On the 8 January episode of Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan Coachman
Jonathan William Coachman , also known as "The Coach", is a former professional wrestling color commentator and authority figure. He is also a former college basketball player, and football play-by-play announcer...
announced that Khali had signed with Raw (without his manager Daivari), and would wrestle John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
in the main event. Khali won by disqualification after Cena took a steel chair
Folding chair
A folding chair is a light, portable chair that that folds flat, and can be stored in a stack, row, or on a cart.-Uses:Folding chairs are generally used for seating in areas where permanent seating is not possible or practical. This includes outdoor and indoor events such as funerals, college...
held by Armando Estrada and hit Khali with it. After the match, Khali chokeslam
Chokeslam
A chokeslam refers to a type of body slam in professional wrestling in which the wrestler grasps their opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks powerful on camera...
med Cena to the mat and left the ringside area, leaving Cena prone to an attack by Umaga
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
.
On the 19 February edition of Raw, Khali demanded better competition after easily defeating The Highlanders
The Highlanders (professional wrestling)
The Highlanders are a Scottish professional wrestling tag team consisting of storyline cousins Robbie and Rory McAllister who were best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment on the Raw brand.-History:Couch and Murray were both born and raised in Oban, Scotland The Highlanders are...
. Four days later on SmackDown!, Khali interfered in a Falls Count Anywhere Money In The Bank
Money in the Bank ladder match
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a professional wrestling ladder match held by WWE. The match can feature anywhere from six to ten participants from any WWE brand, with the objective being to retrieve a briefcase that is suspended 20 feet above the ring...
qualifying match between Kane and King Booker
Booker Huffman
Robert Booker Tio Huffman , better known by his ring name Booker T, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and currently signed to WWE, on its SmackDown brand, as part of the announcing team. Booker is best known for his time in both the World Wrestling Entertainment and World...
. Khali cost Kane the match, leading to a feud which would culminate with a match at WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
. In his first appearance at WrestleMania
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in late March or early April by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut...
, Khali defeated Kane at WrestleMania 23 after slamming him with the Khali Bomb. Right after the match, Khali choked Kane with a hook and chain.
Arrival of Ranjin Singh and Pursuit of the World Championship (2007–2008)
On the 30 April edition of Raw, Khali attacked Shawn MichaelsShawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, Edge
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
, and Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
(all three top contenders to the WWE Championship at the time) backstage. He then attacked WWE Champion
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
as well, sending a message that he wanted Cena's title. The next week on Raw, Khali defeated Michaels in a No. 1 contender's match for the WWE Championship at Judgment Day
Judgment Day (2007)
Judgment Day was the ninth annual Judgment Day professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on May 20, 2007 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri...
. At the event, Khali lost via submission for the first time ever, tapping out to John Cena's STFU. However, at Judgment Day, Khali's foot was under the rope when he tapped out, which went unnoticed by the referee. The next night on Raw, Khali expressed his outrage over the outcome via his newly established translator and manager, Ranjin Singh. At One Night Stand
One Night Stand (2007)
One Night Stand was the third annual One Night Stand professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on June 3, 2007 at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brands...
, Khali lost to John Cena after he was FU'd off a crane bed. This would be the first time that The Great Khali had ever been pinned in a singles match.
On the 11 June edition of Raw, as part of the 2007 WWE Draft
2007 WWE Draft
The 2007 World Wrestling Entertainment Draft Lottery took place at the Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on June 11, 2007. The first half of the draft was televised live for three hours on WWE's flagship program, Raw on USA Network...
, Khali was drafted from Raw to SmackDown! as SmackDown!'s first draft pick. He would soon enter a feud with Dave Batista in July. The two were scheduled for a match at The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash (2007)
The Great American Bash was the fourth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment...
, however, because Edge
Adam Copeland
Adam Joseph Copeland is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Edge. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract....
vacated the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
due to an injury, a twenty man Battle Royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
was held for the title on the 20 July edition of SmackDown!. Khali won after eliminating both Kane and Batista in one move, winning his first World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
. Khali dominated and defeated both Batista and Kane in a Triple Threat match that same week at The Great American Bash. Khali then debuted a new finisher called the "Khali Vise Grip" which he used to wear down Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
, Batista, and Kane. At SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2007)
SummerSlam was the twentieth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on August 26, 2007 at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey and featured talent from each of WWE's three brands: Raw,...
, Khali lost by disqualification when he used a steel chair but retained the title.
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
Salvador "Chavo" Guerrero IV also known as Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero, Jr., is a third generation Mexican-American professional wrestler and member of the famed Guerrero wrestling family who was well known for working with World Wrestling Entertainment and World Championship Wrestling...
in an "I Quit" match, Khali applied his Vice Grip on Mysterio until Batista came to the rescue. After the assault, General Manager Theodore Long
Theodore Long
Theodore R. "Teddy" Long is an American professional wrestling manager and former referee who currently works for WWE on its SmackDown brand as its General Manager.-National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling:...
informed Khali that he would be defending his World Heavyweight Championship against both Rey Mysterio and Batista in a Triple Threat Match at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2007)
Unforgiven was the tenth annual Unforgiven pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on September 16, 2007 from the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands.The main match on the SmackDown brand was The...
, which Khali lost to Batista after receiving a spinebuster. Khali challenged Batista to a rematch in a Punjabi Prison Match at No Mercy
No Mercy (2007)
No Mercy was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on October 7, 2007 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois...
in which Khali lost by failing to escape the Punjabi Prison before Batista.
In late 2007 and early 2008, Khali was put in a program with Finlay
Dave Finlay
David John "Fit" Finlay Jr. is a Northern Irish professional wrestler and road agent. He is perhaps best known for his time in World Championship Wrestling and WWE as an active wrestler and later as a road agent...
usually trying to assault Hornswoggle
Dylan Postl
Dylan Postl is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names Hornswoggle or Little Bastard. He is employed by WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand...
but with Finlay stopping him. Khali participated in a Elimination Chamber
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE promotion. It features a large chain-linked circular steel structure or "chamber" which encloses the ring. The chamber's floor is platformed over the ringside area which elevates it to ring level and within...
match at No Way Out
No Way Out (2008)
No Way Out was the ninth annual No Way Out professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on February 17, 2008 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada...
, which was won by The Undertaker. At WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV
WrestleMania XXIV was the twenty-fourth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . The event took place on March 30, 2008, at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and was the first WrestleMania to be held in the state of Florida...
, Khali participated in a twenty-four man battle royal in which the winner would receive a title match against the ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero later that evening. Kane won the battle royal and went on to win the title. Khali then began a short feud with Big Show. The feud culminated with a match at Backlash
Backlash (2008)
Backlash was the tenth annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 27, 2008 at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, Maryland...
where Big Show emerged victorious.
In July, Khali feuded with Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
over his WWE Championship. On the 25 July edition of SmackDown!, Khali won a battle royal also involving Big Show, Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero "Jeff" Hardy is an American professional wrestler, who is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , where he is a former two–time TNA World Heavyweight Champion...
, Mr. Kennedy, Umaga and Montel Vontavious Porter, to earn the right to face Triple H at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2008)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on August 17, 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the 21st annual SummerSlam event and starred wrestlers from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands.Seven...
. At the event, Khali lost to Triple H after receiving a Pedigree. Khali was given another opportunity to win the WWE Championship, when he faced Jeff Hardy to gain entry into the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven
Unforgiven (2008)
Unforgiven was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 7, 2008 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio...
. Triple H interfered in the Scramble qualification match, and aided Jeff Hardy with a chair shot to Khali, helping Hardy win and eliminating Khali from title contention.
Punjabi Playboy (2008–2011)
On 3 October, daredevil Johnny KnoxvilleJohnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
aired a segment on www.jackassworld.com interviewing Khali with his translator. When Knoxville asked about Khali's "taliwacker
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
" Khali was upset and threatened to tip the interview table onto Knoxville. Khali later invited Knoxville to attend the 13 October episode of Raw, where Knoxville was attacked by both Khali and WWE Diva Beth Phoenix
Beth Phoenix
Elizabeth Kocianski is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE where she wrestles on the Raw brand under the ring name Beth Phoenix, where she is the reigning WWE Divas Champion....
.
Khali grew to take on a more "fun" persona; he and Ranjin Singh began hosting the weekly "Khali Kiss Cam", where Singh would summon ostensibly random women from the audience to kiss Khali.
The Great Khali feuded with Dolph Ziggler
Nick Nemeth
Nicholas Theodore "Nick" Nemeth is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE performing on its Raw brand under the ring name Dolph Ziggler. He is the reigning WWE United States Champion...
, winning by disqualification after Ziggler attacked him with a steel chair. In the next few weeks, Khali lost to Ziggler by countout and disqualification after Ziggler made it look like Khali hit him with a steel chair. At The Bash
The Bash (2009)
The Bash was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 28, 2009 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. This was the sixth and final show in WWE's production lineage for The Great American Bash event and the only one to...
, Khali lost to Ziggler by pinfall, after Kane returned and attacked Khali. It was later revealed that Ranjin Singh was the Khali's brother. The feud with Kane resulted in a match at SummerSlam
SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced annually in August by professional wrestling promotion WWE. The inaugural SummerSlam took place on August 29, 1988 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York and was broadcast via pay-per-view, unlike the Royal Rumble of that...
, where Kane defeated Khali after Kane used Singh as a distraction, and performed a running DDT to Khali. Then Khali lost to Kane again at the first ever WWE Breaking Point
WWE Breaking Point
Breaking Point was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on September 13, 2009 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brands. The name of the event was voted by fans via...
event.
Khali required knee surgery, so Kane "assaulted" Khali with the ring steps during a match so Khali could have time off. Whilst injured, Khali made a surprise appearance alongside Ranjin Singh, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and his wife Sharon on the 2 November edition of Raw, as a judge for the "Raw's Got Talent" segment. He made his official return on the 14 December edition of Raw teaming with Kane and Christian to defeat William Regal, Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov.
On the 2 April edition of SmackDown, it was announced that Khali would be out of action for an undefined amount of time as he needed to spend time with his family and regroup his thoughts back in India. However, on the April 19 edition on Raw, he made an appearance by teaming up with special guest host MacGruber
Will Forte
Orville Willis Forte IV, better known as Will Forte , is an American actor, voice actor, comedian and writer best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2002–2010 and for starring in the SNL spin-off film MacGruber.-Early life:Forte was born in Alameda County, California, the son of...
in a 2-on-1 handicap match against Vladimir Kozlov as "Khaluber" (Khali dressed as MacGruber) which they won by intentional count-out.
As part of the 2010 WWE Supplemental Draft, Khali and Ranjin Singh were both drafted back to the Raw brand. After returning from his hiatus the previous month, Khali was announced by John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
to be a part of his team along with John Morrison, Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
, Edge, R-Truth
Ron Killings
Ronald Aaron "Ron" Killings is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE working on its Raw brand. Since working for the company, he has been a one time United States Champion under the ring name R-Truth and a two time Hardcore Champion under the ring name K-Kwik...
and Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
to face The Nexus at SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2010)
SummerSlam was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , that took place on August 15, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California for the second consecutive year...
. On the 9 August episode of Raw however, Khali was assaulted and injured by The Nexus, thus removing him from the match. Following the attack, Khali then took another hiatus to compete in Bigg Boss
Bigg Boss (Season 4)
Bigg Boss 4 in 2010 was the fourth season of Indian reality TV show Bigg Boss, which aired on Colors from October 3, 2010. This season was longer than its predecessor, Bigg Boss 3 and lasted for 14 weeks ending on January 8, 2011...
, in which he was the runner up on. He made his return at the 2011 Royal Rumble
Royal Rumble (2011)
Royal Rumble was the 24th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on January 30, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts....
though he was eliminated shortly by Mason Ryan. On the March 14 episode of Raw, after Khali defeated The Miz
Mike Mizanin
Michael "Mike" Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler and reality television personality better known by his nickname and ring name The Miz. He is currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its Raw brand...
by disqualification, Miz would assault Khali with a steel chair, which resulted in Khali suffering an injury. Khali won an interbrand dark match battle royal at WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII was the twenty-seventh annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , held on April 3, 2011 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
.
Brief Heel Run and Alliance with Jinder Mahal (2011)
Tooth Fairy (film)
For other uses, see Tooth Fairy .Tooth Fairy is a 2004 short film about a father who forgets to leave money for his daughter from the "tooth fairy"...
at The Rock's birthday party.
On the May 6 edition of SmackDown, Mahal, unimpressed by how Khali and Ranjin Singh have been partaking in childish activities instead of winning matches, confronted Singh about his mismanagement of Khali. Mahal then interrupted a Khali Kiss Cam segment the following week, slapping Khali twice. On the May 20 edition of SmackDown, Mahal interrupted Khali's match against Jey Uso
The Usos
The Usos are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso. The Usos appear in WWE, competing on the SmackDown brand. The pair were previously managed by Tamina...
, which lead to Khali leaving the ring to confront Mahal. Mahal would then slap Khali again, which made Khali re-enter the ring and defeat Jey Uso, and then assault Jimmy Uso
The Usos
The Usos are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of twin brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso. The Usos appear in WWE, competing on the SmackDown brand. The pair were previously managed by Tamina...
after the match.
On the May 27 edition of SmackDown, after being defeated by Kane
Kane (wrestler)
Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
, Mahal came out and shoved Ranjin Singh. Khali then used his vice-grip on Singh, turning heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
in the process and forming an alliance with Mahal. Khali from then on acted as Mahal's bodyguard, assaulting Mahal's opponent's after his matches. On the July 1 edition of SmackDown, Ranjin Singh revealed that Mahal was their brother-in-law
Brother-in-law
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel...
and that if Khali didn't obey Mahal, then he would divorce Khali's sister and put his family back into poverty. On the September 9 edition of SmackDown, Khali and Mahal went against WWE Tag Team Champions
WWE Tag Team Championship
The WWE Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship in WWE. It was established as a second title for tag teams in WWE in 2002 to complement the original World Tag Team Championship...
Air Boom
Air Boom
Air Boom is a WWE professional wrestling tag team consisting of Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston, both of whom compete on WWE's Raw brand where they are the current reigning WWE Tag Team Champions. Their team name "Air Boom" was voted upon by fans on WWE's website...
(Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah , is a Ghanaian American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne as Air Boom...
) in a losing effort after Khali pushed Mahal, allowing Kingston to hit his Trouble in Paradise finishing move onto Mahal. After the match, Khali would walk away from Mahal, thus, turning face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
again. Khali would face Mahal on the September 23 edition of SmackDown, in which he successfully beat Mahal.
On the September 30 episode of SmackDown, Khali faced World Heavyweight Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
Mark Henry
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry is an American professional wrestler signed with WWE, where he performs on its SmackDown brand as the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. He is a 1992 Olympian, and winner of the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic...
, but kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
suffered a fractured fibula. A few days later, following his contract with WWE is set to expire, Khali left WWE and returned to India to continue his career as an actor.
Television
From October 2010 until the final in January 2011, Khali appeared on the television reality show Bigg Boss, on which he finished as first runner-up. The show made special arrangements only for Khali, including a custom-made bed to fit him. In March 2011, Khali had a brief cameo in episode 18 of NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Outsourced
Outsourced (TV series)
Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
. It was confirmed by WWE.com
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
mid April that Khali would appear on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
TV program Pair of Kings
Pair of Kings
Pair of Kings is an American television sitcom shown on the Disney XD cable channel. It was created by Dan Cross and David Hoge and stars Mitchel Musso and Doc Shaw. The sitcom's target audience are teenagers...
as Atog, a rock smashing giant who appears in the episode "Fight School".
Brian Ong incident
On 28 May 2001, Brian Ong died after receiving a flapjack from Singh. Ong had suffered a previous concussion during the session, but the trainersAthletic trainer
An athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
gave him a lower evaluation for not avoiding injuries and told him to continue training. In addition, it was proven that Ong did not receive protective gear or supervision by All Pro Wrestling
All Pro Wrestling
All Pro Wrestling Gym Wars is a professional wrestling television program produced by APW which originally aired weekly on Saturday mornings on KFTY Channel 50 in the San Francisco Bay Area, beginning December 5, 2009. The series features the professional wrestlers of All Pro Wrestling competing in...
(APW) staff. This second concussion ultimately proved fatal for him. As Singh inadvertently caused his death, Ong's family brought a lawsuit against APW. APW was found liable for recklessness after less than a day of deliberations, awarding the Ong family for damages of over $1.3 million.
Personal life
Khali is extremely religious person. He meditates every day and does not consume alcohol, drugs, tobacco, caffeine or meat. Contrary to popular belief, Singh has not suffered from gigantism or acromegaly. He trains four hours a day, and says he is grateful for the opportunities life has given him. Singh married Harminder Kaur on 27 February 2002. Singh suggested the ringname "The Great Khali" after the HinduHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
, who is associated with eternal energy. Singh's training schedule consists of two hours of weight training
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
, morning and evening, every day. Singh's diet is unclear, as in some interviews it is claimed he maintains his size on a vegetarian diet, and in other interviews it is claimed he consumes vast quantities of chicken. He has however clarified that his diet constantly changes. He owns a hummer, due to his size.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Punjabi Plunge (Two-handed chokeslam) - 2006-present
- Vise Grip (Two-handed clawhold) - 2007-present
- Signature moves
-
- Big boot
- Khali Chop (Brain chop)
- Clothesline
- Delayed scoop slam
- Headbutt
- Chokeslam
- Leg dropLeg dropA leg drop or legdrop refers to an attack used in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler will jump and land his leg across a fallen opponent's chest, throat, face or head or in some cases, the groin/lower-abdominal area...
- Nerve hold
- Repeated back elbow strikes to a cornered opponent
- Short–arm clothesline
- Spin kick to an oncoming opponent
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Masahiro ChonoMasahiro Chono, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
- DaivariShawn DaivariDara Daivari is an Iranian American professional wrestler, currently performing on the American independent circuit as Shawn Daivari. He is best known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment as simply Daivari and with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling as Sheik Abdul Bashir.-Career:Daivari...
- Ranjin Singh
- Jinder Mahal
- Masahiro Chono
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "The Punjabi Nightmare"
- "The Punjabi Playboy" (2008–2011)
- "The Punjabi Titan"
- "The Prince of the Land of Five Rivers" (2009)
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Da.ngr" by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
(2006–2008,2011) - "Land of Five Rivers" by Panjabi MCPanjabi MCRajinder Singh Rai , better known by his stage name Panjabi MC is a British Indian musician.-Career:...
(2008-2011) - "Main Yash Hun V2" by Jim Johnston (2011, with Jinder Mahal)
- "Da.ngr" by Jim Johnston
Championships and accomplishments
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- Teisen Hall Six-Man Tournament (2002)–with Masahiro ChonoMasahiro Chono, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
and Giant Silva
- Teisen Hall Six-Man Tournament (2002)–with Masahiro Chono
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #83 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2008
- World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
- World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Heavyweight Championship (WWE)The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
(1 time) - Slammy Award for "Damn!" Moment of the Year (2008)
- World Heavyweight Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Most Overrated (2007)
- Worst Gimmick (2008)
Filmography
- The Evil That Men DoThe Evil That Men Do (film)The Evil That Men Do is an action thriller film directed by J. Lee Thompson that stars Charles Bronson.The film was adapted by David Lee Henry and John Crowther from a novel by R. Lance Hill...
(1984) as a big guy in bar - The Longest YardThe Longest Yard (2005 film)The Longest Yard is a 2005 American sports comedy film remake of the 1974 film of the same name. Adam Sandler plays the protagonist, Paul Crewe, a disgraced former professional football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, who is coerced to form a team from the prison inmates to play...
(2005) as Turley - Get SmartGet Smart (film)Get Smart is a 2008 American spy-fi comedy film based on Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's 1960s spy parody television series of the same name. The film stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99...
(2008) as Dalip - MacGruberMacGruber (film)MacGruber is a 2010 American action comedy film based on the Saturday Night Live sketch of the same name, itself a parody of action-adventure television series MacGyver. The film stars Will Forte in the title role; Kristen Wiig as his love interest/partner, Vicki St...
(2010) as Tug Phelps - KushtiKushti (film)Kushti is a Bollywood comedy film directed by T.K. Rajeev Kumar and starring the famous WWE Wrestler,The Great Khali who is also known as Dalip Singh Rana making his debut. The film also stars Rajpal Yadav, Manoj Joshi, Om Puri and Sharat Saxena in supporting roles...
(2010) as Himself - Ramaa: The SaviourRaama: The SaviourRamaa - The Saviour is a 2010 Bollywood adventure film produced by Paul London, written by Reshu Nath and directed by Hadi Ali Abrar. The film stars Sahil Khan and Tanushree Dutta and features the WWE wrestler, The Great Khali in his second Indian movie after Kushti.- Sypnosis :Ramaa: the Saviour...
(2010) as Vali - The A-TeamThe A-Team (film)The A-Team is an American action film based on the television series of the same name. It was released in cinemas in the United States on June 11, 2010, by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Stephen J. Cannell and the Scott brothers Ridley and Tony...
(2010) as Chop Shop Guy (scene cut from theatrical release) - Detonation (2012) as Gatling Gunner