Great Khali

[0.0] "Really big. Clunky. Gigantically tall. These are just some adjectives to describe the Great Khali. But undoubtedly, one of the worst wrestlers of all time as far as skill set goes."

[3.0] "Khali's career got plagued by that giantism disease he has. He used to be able to move, jump over the top rope, do all this other unique stuff for his size when he first started, and I can't remember what happened but he had some kind of injury that changed his whole run. I wanna say it was something to do with his knee, if I recall correctly. But his whole presentation changed after that. He wasn't mobile anymore, he could barely get around the ring, and was extremely limited as far as bumps he could take and what have you. But he was a big deal in India, a market WWE tried getting in to for years, so WWE had to use him despite the ploddingness, and I think they did what they could. But on the same note, I think if he wasn't seven feet three inches tall and close to the 500 pound mark, and if he wasn't such an attraction in India his run as a wrestler in WWE would've been a whole lot shorter."

[3.0] "I feel like the great Khali push (no pun intended) was fueled by Vince's, at the time, strong liking for big, jacked muscle men. But Khali wasn't that good, and he was just force-fed to us."

[3.0] "Yikes! While I definitely understand people's harsh ratings, I typically reserve 2's & below only for talent that I, at the very least, feel a modicum of vexation, or exasperation towards. That said, for the short amount of time I was watching Khali as a teen, I never did hate-him-hate-him. He was obviously there because of the way he looked, & I feel like the matches written around him did a good job putting his size over. That said, clearly, not the best in-ring. Startlingly limited, didn't move around very well. Despite the fact that he was fluent in English, they did not allow him work the mic & instead paired him with a manager, whom I don't remember a thing about and never really did like. Was it a missed opportunity that wasn't handled well by the company at large, or would it be better rationalized as " He really was that bad at professional wrestling? " Was it both? Gah, who knows. If I rated Mahabali Shera a 4 despite his being minimally competent in-ring & an impressive physical specimen, I'll go ahead and give this guy a 3, because he was definitely less competent than Shera and I'd rather watch Shera any day of the week."

[0.0] "Quite possibly the worst wrestler of all time. He had nothing to offer in the ring or as a character. He was just extremely big. That's it."

[2.0] "He tried, I will give him credit for that, his body just wasn't made for wrestling. He did have a good match with Sheamus once though."

[4.0] "A beast after his debut. As a competitor at his weight and height, he was very satisfying. Unfortunately, they made him a laughing stock."

[3.0] "Oh man the ratings are rough but absolutely valid. Khali was not good at all in the ring & was super slow which isn't his fault but still. They could've found someone as tall & he probably would've done a better job"

[4.0] "Being of Indian descent, when I was little I was a fan of Great Khali. I even remember a story my father told me about how he had gone to school with him. It was obviously not true... But seriously, yes, he was terrible in the ring and couldn't speak into the microphone, but his character was still very impressive and influential in Asia."

[2.0] "I hate giving out any low scores but unfortunately, Great Khali just wasn't a good wrestler. I'm sure his knees had a lot to do with it along with his height. I have no idea how fluent he was in English so I couldn't guestimate on that. That said, I have enjoyed some of his match mainly because of the spectacle of him, especially in the Rumbles."

[0.0] "Without a doubt the most technical wrestler of all time. Every move felt like it came straight out of a wrestling textbook written in slow motion. His selling was so unique that sometimes it looked like he just forgot what planet he was on. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime talent that redefined boredom inside the ring. If wrestling had a 'skip match' button, it would have been invented for Great Khali."

[7.0] "Yeah, he can't wrestle, I get it, but overall he's been a fairly decent servant for WWE. No chance he should have held the belt or been as pushed as heavy as he was, but the guy was a frigging phenomenom. seven foot three! the fact he was as mobile as he was is an achievement and he had some good comedy moments. Fair enough, put him 1 v1 with someone and he aint cutting it but overall he had the stuff in him to be fairly decent in general"

[1.0] "The Great Khali wasn't a wrestler, he was an attraction. He couldn't cut a promo, he couldn't put on a decent match. They always tried to make him look impressive, and when they saw they couldn't do anything, they made him do comedy that wasn't funny. I can't believe he was World Heavyweight Champion."

[0.0] "He couldn't wrestle or cut a promo. He didn't have a character except "is big" and a brief time as a comedy act. If the only thing you can do is your size, which you had no control over, then you have nothing."

[3.0] "Khali has more ratings on this site than the following; Benoit, Nakamura, Tanahashi, ZSJ, Goldberg, RVD, Kenta Kobashi, Tetsuya Naito, Liger, Randy Savage, Misawa."

[3.0] "Was he one of the worst world champions in WWE's history? Most definitely. Was he bad to straight up shit? Yes! At the end of the day, however, I don't think he's the worst big man in professional wrestling. He had a presence and a look, and frankly if he was born a couple decades earlier and was in the territories, or even in AJPW, he'd do quite well! But, that's also the problem. The way he was booked and written just didn't work in the more modern landscape of WWE. He just didn't really fit, and Vince McMahon couldn't help himself but turn him more and more into a comedy character that he could parade like it's the carnival. I do see the potential he could've had, it just wasn't the right place or the right time."

[3.0] "I get why Khali gets a lot of hate--he wasn't the smoothest in the ring, and his matches were usually slow and limited. But I also think it's important to recognize what he brought to the table. He was a true spectacle, especially during his early WWE run. His size alone made him a believable monster, and WWE used that to create some memorable moments. He was never meant to be a technical wizard, but as a larger-than-life character and for representing India on a global stage, he definitely made an impact."

[2.0] "This is part of the wrestling, when they find one of the biggest who they can to find and try to surprise, shock people with them. That's not about skills and technic, this is entertainment part. If we rating The Great Khali, I can tell that this man loves wrestling so much, but he's style was boring and super old school, people didn't bought after watching Antonio Inoki and Andre The Giant, so Khali is defenetely not that good"

[1.0] "The Great Khali was never a wrestler -- he was a spectacle, and not in the good way. Thrown into WWE because of his size and look, Khali moved like a malfunctioning video game character and sold like a tree falling in slow motion. His offense was limited to chops, stomps, and the infamous "Khali Vice Grip, " which looked more like a sleepy hug than a finishing move. In-ring psychology? Nonexistent. Promo skills? Borderline comedic. And yet, somehow, WWE tried to sell him as a world champion -- an actual main eventer -- despite the fact that every match he had looked like it was happening underwater. Even worse, his push came at the expense of actual talent. Remember Batista trying to drag a passable match out of him? Taker? Cena? They all suffered for it. The dude couldn't take a bump, couldn't talk, couldn't work, and yet Vince kept rolling him out like a sideshow attraction from the circus. He was proof that sometimes WWE cares more about height than ability -- and we all paid for it in wasted TV time. An absolute charisma vacuum and one of the most painful runs ever inflicted on wrestling fans."

[2.0] "You know what? Not one of the worst guys that was brought in solely for being a seven footer. Still not good though. Very limited moveset made him look silly a lot of the time."

[2.0] "His movement was limited and his move set looked weak. When he came in, he did look like a threat but that all changed once he started having matches. He just honestly isn't very good"

[4.0] "Khali never had great matches but was an amazing spectacle. He was only as good as his opponent. There's no reason that he should have been in the title picture. The unfortunate thing about the quantity content model of modern wrestling is that you can't have a guy like him on TV without them eventually getting involved with the main event scene. He should have been on every third ppv in special exhibitions. Battle royals and handicap matches."

"To be fair to Khali, he has put Indian pro-wrestling on the map! Following his WWE run, he returned to his home country, started a wrestling school, and trained the next generation of Indian talents. Khali is to wrestling what Viswanathan Anand was for chess! For that he deserves a spot in wrestling history."

[4.0] "Weirdly enough, I have a real soft spot for Khali, largely due to growing up when he was featured most prominently, there's something about him that is endearing to me. Unfortunately however, like a majority of men his size and stature, he was ridiculously limited in the ring and very, very slow. It wasn't for a lack of trying though, Khali obviously has a passion for the business and respects it greatly, which I can admire."

[6.0] "I like Khali and always have. He had great matches with Cena as the nearly unstoppable force, and played that role better than several more highly rated wrestlers over the years. He was a fun midcarder afterwards. I don't think he is a wonderful wrestler but he brought me joy more than he didn't, which is important when calibrating how to access his legacy."

[3.0] "The thing that drew everyone to Khali is his height and intimidating physique, it sure drew me in. Admittedly his matches weren't the best unless he was working with talented wrestlers like John Cena, but not every tall guy has super great ring work abilities. He could cut an alright promo, and he was hilarious in his more comedic years, I always laugh hearing him sing happy birthday to John Cena, but overall he's not the best wrestler. At least every theme song he had was a banger, and his passion for the business really shows."

[4.0] "I definitely think that some people are underrating Khali a bit. He wasn't the greatest technician or a great talker, but he was always weirdly charming and gave it his best."

[2.0] "A very clumsy worker with the tendency to be outshone at every chance, even though he over 7 foot 400 pounds. His world championship run produced some of the worst championship matches in WWE history, but his overarching legacy through his size is undeniable."

[5.0] "Give the man SOME credit. He has an amazing physique compared to other tall wrestlers like Giant Gonzales and Andre. He lookes like an actual monster when facing the Undertaker. When younger, Khali was actually a pretty flexible wrestler and could do all sorts of shit, but the problem came from his size. The man has Acromegaly, immobilising his legs to a certain degree. His height problems lead to him sucking in the ring and the babyface turn was the nail in the coffin as it just turned him into one massive joke character. As a whole, Khali is a guilty pleasure of mine, but the bad qualities are too big to miss. Kinda like Khali himself."

[6.0] "The Great Khali gets a 6 from me because, while he was a unique figure in wrestling, his in-ring ability was very limited. His sheer size and imposing presence made him an instant spectacle, and he played the role of a dominant giant well, especially as a heel. However, when it came to his actual wrestling skills, Khali struggled to deliver exciting matches. His movement in the ring was slow and clunky, and his matches often lacked fluidity. His mic work wasnt great either, as his promos were hindered by his limited English and lack of charisma. Khali had a decent presence and was used effectively for short-term feuds, but he never quite reached the level of other giants like The Undertaker or Kane, who could both work a match and deliver memorable moments. Still, he did bring something different to WWE and made an impact in his own way."

[1.0] "The Great Khali is an awful wrestler. There is no other way around it. He can barely move around the ring, his moves are as limited as they come, he has no charisma whatsoever, and his mic skills might as well be nonexistent."

[0.0] "The Great Khali had nothing that a professional wrestler should have. His slowness and clumsiness did not give him a chance to have a good match. His impressive looks were his only advantage, and that was until he got old and his muscles flabby. I can't imagine what Vince was thinking when he tried to promote this guy. His title reign is just some kind of misunderstanding."

[0.0] "The "great" Khali is what people think Giant Baba was, but no, Baba could wrestle whilst this man could absolutely not. Waste of time and space, embarrassing world champion as well."

[0.0] "Not a wrestler. Unlike the previous giants in professional wrestling, Khali is literally unable to wrestle. Capable of doing the most basic of moves, such as chop, big boot, slam and squishing his opponents head. But you could grab any joe schmo off the street and they'd be able to do the exact same thing. He is 100% an attraction. Much like Andre was back in his final few years in the business. But even then, Andre could 100% go back in the day, whereas you'd be hard pressed to find any match where Khali was able to go in-ring. WWE did the right thing by slowly turning him into a joke character, because that's literally all he is capable of doing. Not trying to hate on Khali, he's just "doing his job" but man... as a fan watching him back in the day, he was absolutely dire. Huge 0 from me, he's simply not a wrestler and not capable of being anything other than a comedy act. Still can't believe they put the world title on him and put him against some top guys for a few years... absolutely diabolical."

[1.0] "Chop. Ask anyone any move of the Great Khali and they'll say that or the Vice Grip. Unlike some other monsters, he couldn't move very well, seemed incapable of having a match, and was very, very bad on the mic. Even his alliances with Natalya and Hornswoggle went nowhere for him. He could've been the new terrifying monster for WWE to fear, but he won the Heavyweight Title and that was his ceiling. It was it. He never held any gold ever again. He also never really had anything to give him credibility. He was also injured on a regular basis and even tapped to the Torture Rack of Ezekiel Jackson. I don't know what Vince was thinking, but we'll all remember Khali for the wrong reasons."

[3.0] "The Great Khali, though of mighty stature, doth want for the craft and prowess befitting a true warrior of the squared circle. His movements upon the field of battle are ponderous and ill-timed, rendering his contests bereft of the vigor and spectacle that doth stir the hearts of onlookers. His arsenal of maneuvers is meager, and his tongue, lacking the silvered eloquence to sway the crowd, leaves him estranged from their favor. Though his visage may inspire dread, his want of skill and grace dost render him a shadow of what a true champion ought to be, failing to etch his name in the annals of wrestling's most honored halls."

[1.0] "I have heard he was not that bad when he was young, but man. Everything he did during his WWE tenure was clumsy (those slaps...). I'll only be kind towards his face claw but only because it looks just nasty. Character-wise : being tall and menacing helped him but there was nothing beyond that. His comedic years were especially grating."

[3.0] "It is no secret that The Great Khali couldn't work a match properly, at times it looked like he struggled to even get to his matches. That being said, I am thoroughly entertained when I see him on my screen, is it a "so bad that it's good" scenario? Probably, but I would much rather watch a terrible but entertaining wrestler than an average but boring one."

"I respect that the guy seems to be genuinely passionate about wrestling, even starting his own wrestling promotion in india which seems to be pretty popular but unfortunately, beside looking scary, he was incredibly terrible on the ring, he was completely immobile and only know like two or three moves, 70% of his matches were just chops, the rest of his moves are him throwing his opponents like a sack of potatoes"

[3.0] "Their is no need to repeat what was allready said. But at least he got a some how decent gimmick with Punjabi Nightmare. , i think some wrestlers are as much or even worst than him. i think people exagerrate Khali badness"

[2.0] "The only, and I truly mean only reason Khali is not a 0 is because his stuff in NJPW is actually decent compared to later in his career but then again, literally anything would look good next to WWE Great Khali"

[1.0] "Khali, was an untaled, overpushed, uncharasmatic nothingman of a wrestler, his one redeming quality was his impressive size. The man was given stupid gimmciks after his first monster run in wwe, the fact the man became a World Champ in WWE was astonishing. there was no true excuse for Vinnie Mac in that sense. Was he the worst, no, was he worth the money, the world title, the hall of fame induction, no, was he a believeable & dominant monster, yes, that is my only excuse for not giving him a 0,"

[2.0] "he could abrely move around the ring in his WE run. Had a great terrifying face off with the Undertaker but it was all downhill from there. The Punjabi Playboy did make me smile but seriously what an awful way to use a bonafide monster. Play to someone's strength really didn't happen here."

[1.0] "So I just left my review of Giant Gonzalez and felt Khali would be the natural next stop. For me Khali is his generations Gonzalez for the most part. I'd however argue Khali is of higher value to the wrestling business that Gonzalez for three simple reasons. 1. His main attribute his size and look wasn't undone by a weird bodysuit attire. 2. His babyface run gave some decent comedy moments. 3. By the time he won the WHC in WWE the belts legacy was already dead, he was less damaging on the legacy of the belt, than Gonzalez is on that of the undertakers streak. So his career highlight is the less offensive to me. Half a star."

[1.0] "I found him menacing and iconic when I was a child, but other than that he is absolute trash with anything he does. After seeing giants like Omos, he was just awful independent from gigantical physical limits."

[4.0] "He gets a 4 for his look and draw amongst the Indian fans. Other than that, I cant think of anything positive."

[7.0] "After watching Omos in recent years and seeing how he was called a Khali clone, I don't want to hear anymore criticism about The Great Khali. Khali attempted to be charismatic in the physical sense of yelling and raising his arms up, speaking in his native tongue, and squishing watermelons and basketballs. The Punjabi Playboy stuff he did was cringe as is the bulk of the PG Era, but there was effort in making this dude a big deal and it worked to an extent. One and done transitional world champion, but that's okay."

"I honestly liked Khali a lot in WWE but he was very very bad in every sense of the word. But we are talking about him in general not only in WWE. in New Japan on the other hand Khali was a beast not the best but not bad either doing moves like apron powerbomb, military drop press and even jumping over the turnbuckle. if WWE had gotten to him earlier and booked him liked they did when they had him he would be a staple of the early ruthless aggression or late attitude era."

[0.0] "The Great Khali is without a doubt one of the worst wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling and the only reason he got signed is because of his height. He had less than no charisma, he couldn't talk, he was slow, prone to botches and despite his size he couldn't wrestle his way out of a paper bag. He was like an awkward circus attraction at best. He was fun to watch for 2 seconds purely due to him being such a spectacle but along with that he's boring and slow to the point of making Big Show look entertaining."

[6.0] "I feel big guys should be based on big guy criteria. There is something I liked about Khali, even if it wasn't the wrestling. Plus he brought a lot of attention from his native India. Should he have been World Champion? Probably not. Was he a bad inclusion to a wrestling show as a whole? Not at all. He had some fun segments, and would still do stuff like take a big swing from Cesaro. I think he was a satisfactory big man and wish people could look back at his work now and realize this. Maybe it was painful at the time but there were much worse big men."