What did you think of The Great Khali’s debut in WWE?
The Great Khali is a WWE Hall of Famer and former World Heavyweight Champion. He is one of the most popular wrestlers in India and has helped grow WWE into a household name in his home country.
Standing over 7 feet tall he is an unmissable talent who has had many memorable and terrifying moments in WWE, none more so than his WWE debut.
Keep reading to find out about The Great Khali’s debut.
The Great Khali’s Debut
The Great Khali made his WWE debut on the Smackdown after Wrestlemania 22. He interrupted a Wrestlemania rematch between The Undertaker and Mark Henry, attacking the Deadman and having the match thrown out.
The Great Khali’s debut was a terrifying sight. He dwarfed the 6 foot 8 The Undertaker in the ring, making him look small in comparison to Khali’s incredible size.
Never before had anyone manhandled The Undertaker as the Great Khali did on his debut. He decimated the Deadman, dominating the former WWE Champion as nobody had seen before. If fans thought that Kane on his debut was dominant, they had never seen anyone like The Great Khali.
While this was the first appearance of The Great Khali on WWE TV, his first match in WWE would come in the coming weeks on Smackdown.
The Great Khali’s debut match in WWE came against Japanese wrestler Funaki on the April 17 2006 episode of Friday Night Smackdown. Great Khali’s first match was a short affair, lasting only 56 seconds before he put away Funaki for the win.
After tossing Funaki around like a rag doll for the bulk of the match, he hit a two handed chokeslam called the “Khali Bomb”, before stepping on Funaki’s chest for the pin fall victory.
He would go on to feud with The Undertaker following the match, as well as defeating World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio in a non-title match on Smackdown.
Whilst he didn’t win the Championship from Rey Mysterio that night, he did later go on to hold the belt. In a huge battle royale, he outlasted every other man to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship in a match that is the most watched video on WWE’s Youtube channel.
After that win, his career went downhill fast. Injuries limited his mobility and he soon became one of the worst wrestlers on the roster. Great Khali vs John Cena turned out to be a great match, but it would be lying to say he had any good matches after that one took place.
The Great Khali was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, due to his incredible fan base in India and the way he helped grow business in Asia for WWE.
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