Posted in: Sports, TV, WWE | Tagged: the great khali, wrestling, wwe, wwe hall of fame

We Promise This Isn't A Joke: The Great Khali Will Enter The WWE HoF

Published Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:35:24 -0500

In a bit of news that I'm as shocked as you are did NOT come from Kayfabe News, The Great Khali is set to enter the WWE Hall of Fame at this year's ceremony. Yes, the imaginary hallowed halls of pro-wrestling history that is home to names such as Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin will now also be home to the seven-foot-tall (barely) walking meme that is Khali. I for one feel lucky to be alive to see this day!

We Promise This Isn't A Joke: The Great Khali Will Enter The WWE HoF — The Great Khali, courtesy of WWE.

As first reported by the WWE India Instagram account, The Great Khali will enter the WWE Hall of Fame this year alongside such names as Eric Bischoff, Molly Holly, JBL, British Bulldog, Jushin 'Thunder' Liger, The Bella Twins, the original NWO members (Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman), and the other big announcement today, Kane. WWE/Hollywood star Dave Bautista was set to be a part of this class as well but asked to be rescheduled to a different year as he has a prior commitment on the date of the ceremony.

While many WWE fans (obviously including yours truly) have mostly seen Khali as something of a joke, he actually was an attraction for WWE, albeit for a very brief period. Few men in wrestling history have had Khali's size and look, but unfortunately, that presence didn't come with in-ring talent, and most of the time, it appeared Khali couldn't even take a bump. During his initial run when WWE was presenting him as a legitimate threat, Khali was very protected in the ring and worked with guys like Batista, Triple H, and The Undertaker, who could each basically make the match themselves and protect the very limited Khali, while still making him look powerful.

Khali was given a run as the World Heavyweight Champion in 2007 and in doing so, became the first Indian to hold a title in WWE's history. Khali also had a bit of a movie career, appearing in Adam Sandler's The Longest Yard remake in 2005 and in the big-screen adaptation of Get Smart in 2008.

Even though I make jokes, I'm sure that Khali is a nice guy and we've never heard anything bad about the guy, so I congratulate him on this honor that I'm sure means a lot to him and his family. After all, Donald Trump is in the WWE Hall of Fame, so Khali could never be considered the worst person to be inducted.

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