Dalip Singh Rana, better known by his ring name The Great Khali, is an Indian and American promoter, actor, powerlifter and professional wrestler best known for his time with WWE. Known for his great height, in 2014 he was described as the eighth tallest professional wrestler in history.
He made his professional wrestling debut in 2000. Before embarking on his professional wrestling career, he was an officer for the Punjab Police. He has appeared in four Hollywood films, two Bollywood films and several television shows. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class. He was the runner-up in the fourth edition of Bigg Boss.
EARLY LIFE
He was born on 27 August 1972 Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, India. His father Jwala Ram was a poor farmer, and his mother was Tandi Devi. Born to a family of seven siblings, he had to endure hardship and do various odd jobs to earn a decent living for his large family.
He also suffers from a hormonal disorder known as acromegaly which causes people to turn into giants and have a protruded chin among other effects. Before undergoing training to become a professional wrestler, Khali worked as a security guard in the city of Shimla and later became a police officer for the Punjab state police.
He debuted for WWE on the 7 April 2006, episode of SmackDown as a villainous character and was given the moniker of The Great Khali. Billed at 7’1’’, The Great Khali was monstrous in size and was given a push befitting of a monster heel. He decimated Superstars like The Undertaker, Kane, and Batista with ease. Khali even defeated The Undertaker clean, without any foul play, a feat that only a handful of Superstars have been able to achieve. He reached the highest point in his WWE career when he won the World Heavyweight Championship in a 20-man Battle Royal on the July 20 edition of SmackDown. He lost the title after a few months to Batista at the 2007 No Mercy pay per view in a Punjabi Prison match.
After having a few unsuccessful attempts at winning back the World Heavyweight Championship, Khali then feuded with John Cena for his WWE Championship title but was never able to win it in his career. Khali then debuted the Punjabi Playboy gimmick in 2008, where he debuted the Khali Kiss Cam. He would never reach the same level of success that he did during his very first stint. The Great Khali has made several appearances for WWE since, including a cameo during a Punjabi Prison match involving WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton at the 2017 WWE Battleground and an appearance at the 2018 WWE Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He has also appeared in four Hollywood films, two Bollywood films, and several television shows.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
In 2007, he became WWE’s World Heavyweight Champion, and the first Indian wrestler to win a World Title in WWE. He won the Teisen Hall Six-Man Tournament (2002) – with Masahiro Chono and Giant Silva.