The Great Khali

By the name alone, we can assume that you must be familiar with the person, and even if you are not, you will undoubtedly recognize him in the picture. Yes, from movies to memes, the Great Khali has been entertaining audiences for decades. This is his story, the journey of Dalip Singh Rana to the Great Khali.

The Great Khali. Image Credits: DnaIndia

It was in the 1990s when World Wrestling Entertainment was a constant show on TV. If you are a 90s kid, you will surely reminisce about the craze for WWE back then. The popularity of the show grew exponentially with each passing year among everyone around the corner. People enjoyed watching wrestlers from various nationalities compete inside the ring. Well, India was also not left behind by this craze, and WWE captivated a commendable number of viewers from our country too.

But suddenly, the excitement and number of Indian audiences rose. This was because of the first Indian wrestler who stepped into the WWE to kill in the ring. He was none other than Dalip Singh Rana, more popularly known as the Great Khali.

The journey to WWE was never a cakewalk for Khali. It started in a small village named Dhiraina in Himachal Pradesh. Being brought up in a financially unstable family, he missed his schooling. He had to work as a laborer, breaking stones on the road, to earn his bread and butter.

Furthermore, his disease made it even worse for him. Khali suffered from acromegaly, which gave him a giant structure and some facial deformities. But he had no idea that this was a blessing in disguise for his career.

This unusual height of his drew the attention of Punjab police officers. With their help, Khali landed a police job through a sports quota. It was an achievement when Khali, who had never attended school, became a policeman. But this was not a stop in his career graph. He began giving a portion of his time to bodybuilding while pursuing his job.

Finally, when Khali got his first chance to get into television, it was a risk for him. He had to decide whether to put his solid income at risk by pursuing a distant dream or to put his job stability above all else. But Khali risked it all.

He went to Hayward and started his training under Roland Alexander. With hope in his heart, he continued his struggle there. However, he got his deserved reputation after a tragic event. In 2001, when he accidentally killed his fellow wrestler, Brain Ong, with a flapjack, the incident made a huge fuss. Khali's name became the talk of the town.

However, this triggered a part of the wrestling community, and they blamed Khali for the misogyny. He was then tagged as a dangerous opponent to fight against. Despite this, WCW, Mexico, and Japan wanted to hire him. Khali played well in a few matches in both countries.

Soon after, he was declared not guilty of Brain Ong’s death. Ong was initially unfit for the wrestling match and was also warned to not participate in such tournaments.

After being found not guilty, Khali made his dream debut in 2006, against the Undertaker. As Khali was a spiritually inclined person, he kept his name as "The Great Khali" after the name of the Hindu Goddess Maa Kali. From then, he began a remarkable journey that lasted over ten years. While working for the organization, he competed in matches all around the world and captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

In 2014, when his contract ended, he parted ways with WWE. Today, he is preparing a number of Indian wrestlers who have decided to walk on the road that Khali laid. In the Continental Wrestling Academy, Khali helps budding wrestlers build their careers and make themselves polished international stars in the field of wrestling. He is a popular name among Indians for his achievements, especially for his struggle.

The Great Khali deserves respect.