Missing Mania: The Great Khali is a big deal in India

The Great Khali is a big deal in India
by Kev Kellam


Now the Great Khali is no technical master in the ring. You are never going to see a "five star clasic" from this monster of a man. Plus he's not much of the dream boat, that WWE sarcastically props him up to be. And he's far from the charismatic showman needed, to talk fans into a match. Hell, this giant can't even speak any language let alone English. If you got your pet dog in front of your TV during an episode of Friday Night Smackdown when the Great Khali is on the mic, your dog would have better chance than you, of understanding what it is Khali's actually saying. His mutton-chopped manager with the bedazzled velvet coats is not helping either. His monstrous body and menacing look are what keep him employed with WWE. He's just big, really abnormally big. To be blunt, The "Punjabi Playboy" circus act is just tired and unfunny, and is not something fitting the grandest stage in all of pro wrestling, Wrestlemania.

So why am I making note of his absence on a show no suspects Khali to be on to begin with?

Khali is a massive attraction in his native land of India, one of WWE's biggest foreign TV markets right now. It probably still sounds debatable that Khali would be seen as a pay per view draw anywhere in the world but WWE's Stephanie Macmahon was quoted in the Wall Street Journal recently, praising Khali's drawing power in his homeland. She went so far, as to say “He’s like a god over there”. Macmahon is being honest too. If you don't believe her, check out this worship from Khali's countrymen:

"This 36-year old Indian giant has already proved his caliber in the world arena, but this is not the end — it is just the beginning for this Indian legend!" - Merinews.com (an Indian pop culture news site, read the whole article here)

So money making logic leads one to believe, the Great Khali should just be crammed into the Mania card to make some money in Mumbai right? Currently there is no place for the Indian Giant on this year's Mania at this point in time, but it could be a real stunt to see Khali try climb a ladder in the Money in the Bank match. But that does not seem likely as WWE has made no mention in the past few weeks of adding another wrestler to the already crowded match which currently has 9 wrestlers seeking to win the briefcase with a guaranteed World title shot.

Khali could possibly be tethered to an autograph table during the week long Mania festivities, scribbling his name on 8x10 photos with a Sharpie, like a lot of WWE superstars. Hopefully, that is the closest the Great Khali gets to any wrestling ring in Phoenix.