11 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About The Great Khali

2. He Was World Heavyweight Champion

Great Khali Playboy
WWE.com

Everybody tiresomely complaining about Jinder Mahal being WWE Champion, and how it's an affront to the august legacy of the strap should stop and confront reality for a moment and recall that The Great Khali once held one of the company's top prizes.

Sure, it wasn't ever considered the company's main title, but the World Heavyweight belt imported the storied legacy of the NWA, and as intoxicating as his tallness was, Khali had no right to hold aloft such an accolade. Sure, there's more to being a champ than being a great wrestler, but the man moved with all the mobility of a deck chair, and was demonstrably a bit wank.

In an age where kayfabe was but an illusion everybody was in on, there was absolutely no justification for putting a guy as ineffectual as Khali on top. It immediately undermined the product by reiterating that talent didn't matter, and it hardly motivated business either. Plus it made the 'big gold belt' look dead little.

Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.