Professional dressing legend and WWE Hall of Famer The Great Khali who is also a formal WWE World Heavyweight Champion recently talked about the Undertaker being his greatest inspiration and he also said that the Dead Man was the reason behind him coming to the world of professional wrestling.
The Great Khali joined the world of professional wrestling in 2006 and he looked like a big deal from the very first day of joining the promotion since he was over 7 foot tall. He is career started with having a push directly from the Undertaker. And at Judgement Day pay per view event of 2006, he defeated the Undertaker to start his career. It was a very dominant victory as well.
The Great Khali Reveals The Undertaker Was His Biggest Inspiration
He received victories over some of the biggest names in WWE back in the time including the Undertaker and Kane and everybody thought he is destined for something very big. Even though he was being criticized badly by professional Wrestling fans and critics because of his slow movement and weak wrestling style.
But Vince McMahon was desperate to push him as a main event star. In 2007 he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by winning a Battle Royal. He last eliminated Batista and Kane to win the title. The decision was badly criticized but WWE was trying to get a good viewership from India back in the time, that was why they made such a decision.
Slowly, Khali lost his push and he turned out to be a jobber soon. He did not get to win any other Championship in WWE after dropping the World Heavyweight Championship to Batista and The Unforgiven pay per view event of 2007. In 2021 WWE inducted him into the Hall Of Fame.
The Great Khali who is also a formal WWE World Heavyweight Champion recently spoke to WWE Now India where he talked about the Undertaker being his greatest inspiration and he also said that the Dead Man was the reason behind him coming to the world of professional wrestling. He said;
“I started wrestling after watching The Undertaker. He was my inspiration to get into the business. It was such a memorable moment for me[win over Undertaker]. It was challenging match for me but it was equally momentous.. very close to my heart.
“It was my dream[to start an academy in India]. Since I was a wrestler myself, I did not want to be the last wrestler from India[to join WWE]. I wanted more young wrestlers from India to go to WWE to make India proud. I had a very hard time when I started my journey. Going from India, getting a visa in US, finding a good academy to get trained.
“It was tough path for me. I also did not have much money. So, it was my dream from that time. I went to US in 2000. My dream was to remove all these barriers and perils for the next generation. So, I always had in mind that if I could become something credible, I will create a wrestling academy in India to give youngster a platform to achieve their dreams.”