"I'll be putting that guy over"- 15-time champion's reaction when a locker room of men made fun of The Great Khali
Tommy Dreamer recently shared a backstage story involving The Great Khali, from back when he hadn't yet made it big in WWE.
The Great Khali is a former World Heavyweight Champion and a WWE Hall of Famer as well. He will go down in history as one of the most intimidating big men who has ever competed in WWE.
There was a time, though, when he wasn't a popular name in the world of pro wrestling. Former WWE Superstar Tommy Dreamer shared an interesting story about Khali on the latest edition of Busted Open Radio. He recalled how some of the wrestlers made fun of the giant for the way he looked.
"(...)when I was in India, a locker room of men was making fun of this giant, clumsy man, in the ring... doing... he was not even a wrestler," said Dreamer. "Well, yeah, maybe he was just a little bit. And I saw them all make fun of this big, jacked-up goof, and I said, "I know I'll be putting that guy over," so that guy would be our future champion, because he looked like such a unique person, and that was The Great Khali. And everybody who mocked him, lost to him."
An absolute attraction, The Great Khali brought a physical presence to the ring unlike any other. A proud representative of his country, he’s helped to usher in a new generation of Indian talent who will leave their mark on @WWE! Congratulations Khali! twitter.com/WWE/status/137…
As Dreamer noted, The Great Khali had a distinct look as a towering powerhouse, so he rose to prominence right away in WWE. Early in his career, he was booked like a dominant monster, and he quickly became a champion.
The Great Khali went on to make an explosive debut in WWE
WWE legend The Undertaker defeated Mark Henry in a Casket Match at WrestleMania 22. The two behemoths met again on the April 7, 2006 episode of SmackDown. Khali made his first main roster appearance during the match and confronted The Deadman.
Khali's stature and intimidating presence was enough to make The Undertaker take notice. In a matter of seconds, Khali took The Phenom down, thus kicking off his path of destruction and chaos. At Judgment Day 2006, Khali defeated The Undertaker in less than 10 minutes. A year later, he won his first and only World Heavyweight title in a Battle Royal on SmackDown.
Great Khali vs. Hornswoggle?!?
Look back at some of the greatest height mismatches in WWE history! #WWETop10 https://t.co/LEJs7GirPi
Khali was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. He enjoys a huge fan following in the Indian subcontinent and was instrumental in bringing millions of Indian viewers to WWE's product.
From being made fun of by a bunch of men in the locker room to becoming a WWE Hall of Famer, Khali has certainly come a long way.
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