10 Times WWE Characters Had Sexual Awakenings

4. The Great Khali Becomes A Playboy

Daniel Bryan Bellas
WWE.com

The Great Khali, if you choose to take developmental whistleblower Kevin Matthews at his word, was hired by WWE with the sole intention of programming him with The Undertaker. He needed only to learn the basics, but Deep South Wrestling trainer Bill DeMott allegedly put a man with mummified knees through his cardiovascular paces.

Khali's run extended beyond that feud. Things looked bleak for him - he was drafted to ECW shortly thereafter - but a move to RAW and an impossibly good match with John Cena at One Night Stand 2007 saw his stock rise once more. An unfortunately-timed injury suffered by Edge saw Khali capture the World Heavyweight Title over on the SmackDown brand.

That was the height of his run. WWE extracted more mileage from the man that was ever thought possible. For that, they should be commended. For what followed, they should be vilified.

In the grand tradition of the chewed-up hoss of the week, Khali was subsequently transitioned into a "comedy" role. The comedy was nominal; the "Kiss Cam" segments, in which the apparently awful circus freak was trotted out to pop the office in Gorilla, were humiliating for both Khali and audience alike. The camera panned around the crowd, capturing women who'd rather have George Steele have a go at their turnbuckles than kiss the "Punjabi Playboy".

This being WWE, the less photogenic specimens of the fairer sex were planted in the audience. If there's one thing funnier than acromegaly-suffering foreigners, it's fat chicks.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!