WATCH: The Great Khali's agility, physique, and in-ring work in APW and NJPW
Pro Wrestling: WWE: Before joining WWE, The Great Khali was in several other Wrestling promotions like APW, WCW, and NJPW. It is worth taking a glimpse of the prime Khali.
The Great Khali was one of a kind before joining WWE. He was a part of different other promotions like WCW, APW, and NJPW. Some of his matches in APW and NJPW could give the fans an idea about how good a wrestler he was. Many claim him to be a mediocre wrestler considering his stint with WWE when he was well past prime. But in his prime, Khali was indeed a monster.
The Great Khali made his debut in APW (All Pro Wrestling) in 2000. Right in his debut, the star wrestler made a lasting impact on the fans. Coming from a bodybuilding background, it was not that difficult for Khali to transform himself into a wrestler. He was known by his original name 'Dalip Singh Rana' in APW. On his debut, Khali squashed his opponent and even threatened the referee.
Watch the Great Khali's presence in APW and NJPW in the videos below -
The former WWE Superstar was a beast in APW. He teamed up with Tony Jones and became a force to reckon with. In one of the episodes, Khali literally killed Brian Ong an AOW trainee. APW had to give the family of Ong a sum of $1.3 million. After 2001, Khali made a move to WCW. Till the company was bought by the then WWF, he was in WCW for about eight months.
The Great Khali's run in NJPW
After WCW was bought by WWF, Khali joined NJPW. He debuted as Gracy Singh and had some of his best performances in the ring. In some of the matches, he was athletic and jumped from the top of the apron. Khali had a vicious clothesline that damaged all of the locker room. His move set was good when he was in NJPW.
In his prime, Khali was a better version of the monster WWE showed him in the period 2006 to 2008. If one gets to see Khali wrestle outside of WWE, one might not believe it was Khali. Due to his age being a role, Khali could not move well in the 2010s. Khali also took part in other promotions like CMLL and AJPW before finally getting a break in WWE.