WWE Hall of Fame: The Great Khali will be inducted in class of 2021, Indian fans rejoice

Former WWE World Heavyweight Champion The Great Khali is the newest inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame 2021. Khali was informed of the honour by Dave Kapoor, who served as his manager in the promotion, under the name of Ranjin Singh. Kapoor featured in an exclusive edition of WWE Now India, where he praised the 7-foot-1 behemoth, saying he’s proud of Khali’s achievements. The Great Khali is arguably the biggest wrestling star hailing from India, thanks to his eight-year-long run in WWE.

WWE Hall of Fame 2021: The Great Khali Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame ceremony is set to be held in April and will also feature the inductions of the 2020 class. The 2020 Hall of Fame ceremony was postponed due to COVID-19, with legends JBL, nWo, Bella Twins, British Bulldog and Jushin “Thunder” Liger on the inductee list. Meanwhile, the 2021 class features Molly Holly, Kane, Eric Bischoff and The Great Khali.

The Great Khali WWE: Fans react to The Great Khali Hall of Fame induction

The Indian superstar’s Hall of Fame induction announcement garnered a string of interesting responses from several pro-wrestlers as well as the WWE Universe on Twitter. WWE legend Triple H and former Women’s champion Natalya also praised Khali, claiming that the 48-year-old “ushered in a new generation of Indian wrestlers” who will leave their mark on the promotion in the near future.

Indian fans looked incredibly happy with Khali’s achievement, with some even hailing him as the next Dara Singh, who also received the honour in 2018. “This is absolutely phenomenal. Congratulations Khali,” wrote a fan. "Khali making us Indians proud. Well done brother, keep on going," another added. 

Great Khali height: The Great Khali run

The Great Khali made his WWE debut at the April 7, 2006, episode of SmackDown — shortly after WrestleMania 22 — attacking The Undertaker and putting him down with ease. He went on to defeat the Deadman at Judgment Day 2006 and was heavily pushed on SmackDown, starting feuds with other stars like John Cena, Batista, and Triple H. During his time with the promotion, The Great Khali won major titles, including the prestigious WWE World Heavyweight Championship —  becoming the first Indian to ever do so. 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