8 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WWE SmackDown From 2006

2. WWE Outright Repeated A 1993 Feud

What came next was foul.

The Great Khali’s debut attack on The Undertaker during the 7 April SmackDown was reminiscent of Giant Gonzalez debuting at the 1993 Royal Rumble, and that's not meant as a compliment. Indeed, Khali's whole rivalry with 'The Deadman' conjured up memories from one of the worst periods of ‘Taker’s entire career.

This was nightmare fuel for fans who'd sat through events at WrestleMania XI and SummerSlam '93, and it can't have been fun for Undertaker either. He'd have been well within his rights to pin somebody down backstage who had influence and say: 'So, I've gone from tearing the house down with Kurt f'n Angle to working with another no-use lumbering giant?!'.

'Taker didn't have to worry about getting a good match out of Khali. He did, however, have to worry about getting any sort of match at all out of the monster. Khali wasn't quite as limited as Gonzalez had been, but he wasn't far off it. Seeing him become Vince McMahon's shiny new toy on episodes of SmackDown in 2006 flat out sucked.

Fans in attendance knew it was on them to sell excitement when Khali marched down to the ring and took 'Taker out, but not many were looking forward to the matches these men were gonna have. Everyone knows that wrestling is a variety show, but surely pressing the repeat button one one of the worst rivalries of the 90s wasn't a good idea.

The Undertaker favoured dynamic, fast-moving opponents by '06. He wasn't going to get a tune out of Khali.