The Great Khali provides Jalandhar academy for top professional Indian boxing competition

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali – real name Dalip Singh Rana – recently extended his support for a professional boxing event, that will take place on May 1, 2021, in Jalandhar, Punjab. The 'India Unleashed' event, which consists of 10 fight cards, has been officially sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Commission (IBC), and will also feature talent scouted from across the country.

Boxing news: Great Khali provides for pro-boxing event

According to the latest PTI boxing news, lightweight Suman Kumari and featherweight Pawan Goyat & Chandni Mehra are some of the professional boxers listed for the event. The first of the many fight nights will be held at The Great Khali academy in Jalandhar, and will reportedly feature up to 10 fights. “The 'India Unleashed' fight night is our effort and a step in the right direction to make pro-boxing a hit. My plan is to bring in more such fights and initiate a professional Indian circuit that guarantees quality fights,” said the CEO of LZ Promotions, Parm Goraya, who’s conducting the event.

The Great Khali WWE career

The former Punjab police-officer-turned-wrestler, took the world by storm when he made his WWE debut in 2006 and become the first Indian to sign a contract with the promotion. In his decade-long WWE career, The Great Khali worked with a host of superstars and was even able to defeat legends like John Cena, Batista, Mark Henry, Kane, and others. Not just that, he has also won multiple titles in the promotion, which also consists of a WWE World Heavyweight Championship run.

The Great Khali WWE career: Rise to stardom

Success in the WWE ring, not just made Khali a national hero in India, but also gave him the fame he deserved. In the past decade, the 7-foot giant has appeared on screens of all sizes from Bollywood to Hollywood, which includes prominent acting roles in the feature films like The Longest Yard (2005), Get Smart (2008), MacGruber (2010) and many others. Besides The Great Khali Academy in Jalandhar, the former wrestler has also lent his support to develop sports in other Indian states such as Jammu and Kashmir.

Khali’s last WWE appearance

At the 2017 WWE Battleground PPV, Khali returned to the promotion after years of absence and helped then WWE Champion Jinder Mahal to retain his title against Randy Orton in a Punjabi Prison match. However, his last appearance came at the Greatest Royal Rumble match in April 2018, where he lasted less than a minute, before being eliminated by Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley.

Image Source: WWE.com