Insight with Chris Van Vliet - The Great Khali: WWE World Champ, "The Longest Yard", Undertaker, Punjabi Prison Match, Hall Of Fame

Episode Date: July 7, 2026

The Great Khali (@thegreatkhali) is an actor and WWE Hall of Famer. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Houston, TX to discuss being one of the most famous people in India, how he got signed by WWE, debuting with The Undertaker, transitioning from a giant into a comedy character, starring in movies "The Longest Yard" and "Get Smart", the origin of The Punjabi Prison match, winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, whether he has retired, and more! Please support our sponsors: HELIX SLEEP: Flash sale! Go to https://helixsleep.com/cvv for 27% off sitewide! COZY EARTH: Go to https://cozyearth.com/CVV for up to 20% off! BEAM: Go to https://shopbeam.com/INSIGHT and use code INSIGHT for up to 40% off Beam’s Dream Powder DELETEME: Use the code INSIGHT to get 20% off your DeleteMe plan at https://joindeleteme.com/INSIGHT FACTOR: Get 50% off your first box, plus Free Breakfast for 1 Year with the code INSIGHT50OFF at https://factormeals.com/INSIGHT50OFF PURE PLANK: The future of core fitness! Use the code CVV to save 10% on Pure Plank designed by Adam Copeland & Christian: https://gopureplank.com/cvv SEAT GEEK: Use my code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/CVV Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount NORDVPN: Exclusive deal! https://nordvpn.com/cvv Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! PRIZEPICKS: Download the PrizePicks app today and use code INSIGHT to get $50 bonus credit in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup! For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://chrisvanvliet.com If you have ever enjoyed any of these episodes, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast or Spotify? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thank you so much for doing this. Thank you, thank you. Thanks for the invite for me. You are a large human. You are a big man. Like, if you were to hold this, that would look just tiny in your hands, right? This one?

This is actually small. Look. When did you get the tattoos? You know, I have a restaurant. A restaurant. Yeah. So there I have come one. fan, he has all over tattoos, you know, eyes, hair, face, all body.

Yeah. So he said, oh man, I'm big fan. I say, what do you do? He said, I'm tattoo artist. I said, oh, that's nice, man. So he said, I want to make a tattoo for, you know, some tattoo, your body. I say, okay, what can I do? So now just give you some time.

I want to make tattoos. So I said, okay. But I'm not paid because, you know, I'm not really interested in make tattoo. You got a lot of tattoos now. Yeah. So he said, no, no, don't worry, don't worry. I pay you.

I say, okay, let's go. So he starts, you know, this one and this one. Oh, you got a neck tattoo. Yeah. So this is incomplete, uncomplete. Okay. Because I'm busy. So he started three days.

finish this one, this one, and this one, three days. So I'll say, okay, let's give you a little break. Next week I come. I say, okay, so next week, so I just all the time, busy, busy. Say, hey, when I come, I say, okay, I'll be let you know. So now you're one year almost. So he's not complete tattoo. So somebody, one guy saw me Instagram.

I made a tattoo. He said, please, please. I want to make tattoo, I want to make tattoo. I said, okay, come over. So he came my place, so he made my tattoo this. So what do you got on here? This is a tiger, eagle, some of the shiba. So.

What's on your neck? Another tiger, okay. You're another wrestler with a neck tattoo. This is great. Yeah. What does life look for you? look like for you when you're this tall? Like how do you fly on an airplane? Yeah man this is very hard especially when I go international. Very tough because flight is you know business class very small

so my legs go you know go I can you know sleep so I go this one so then I'll you know turn this is you know very hard it's not easy. What about when you rent a car? Renter car is a little problem, but you know, still there. Are you officially retired? Wrestling? Yeah. Yeah, I retired. Like, do you think there would ever be a chance you'd come back for a Royal Rumble spot

or something like that? Never know, but I don't want to go. Maybe WWE asking, hey, you'll come one day, then I can go. Just just one, one, two days, not full time. Yeah. Never, because my head's bad knee. So I can't go full time. Yeah, how are your knees right now?

It's still here. I just want to take a break a little bit, then I want to surgery. But I'm just every day busy, busy, busy. Like a knee replacement? Yeah, knee replacement. Oh, both of them? First, I want first to do one, then maybe later. maybe, you know. Okay. But are you in pain right now?

I'm sitting and no pain. When I, especially take steer, it's pain and long time staining and pain. Otherwise, I'm fine. This is okay. I can do exercise. I can do anything. Only when I walk and just take stairs, that is pain. You still look like you're in amazing shape right now. Thanks, man. That's a good compliment for me. It's amazing seeing these photos of you when you're younger, when you were bodybuilder. Like, it blows people away that you were able to put on that kind of mass when you're this tall. What age did you start bodybuilding?

Bodybuilding, I started when I'm 20-year-old. So then I start bodybuilding. But, you know, I do very short time. bodybuilding. I'm not a long time, you know, many years. I just start a short time is I start 94 and 1994. Then 98, I'm just quit. Not quit. Then I just try to come WWE. And what was it that got you on WWE's radar? How did you get discovered by WWA? That's a story, man. This is a long story, but I can tell you where, you know, there's, you know, short.

I start bodybuilding. So my coach is just, you know, everybody says, oh, man, he looks like a cane. Oh, my God, man, he looks like a big show. Because I'm very big, very strong. Yeah. So everybody, you know, say, oh, man. and you look like a, you know, the only guy.

So me and my coach email, you know, different, different school. So one school responds back, APW school from California, San Francisco. He just said, oh, yeah, yeah, just get there. you know, because I said, you know, my arms is 24, my legs is 35, my chest is 64, you know, a resume. I sent, you know, all the school. Yeah. He said, okay, if you have that kind guy, then you can make lots of money per year.

So then start, he said, okay, I would make money, man. I work a police job, but he no have that much money. Police job, you know, Punjab police, but it's small money, you know. So he said, if you have this size guy, you can make a lot of money. So then I, you know, come here, epitably. How familiar were you with wrestling up to that point? Had you done any wrestling or watched any wrestling up to that point? Yeah, I just started watching wrestling,

and I'm a big fan of the Triple H, you know, and rock, strong world. And, you know, I said, oh, man, this really, you know, nice, very, you know, stylish, you know, big body, you know, I was, you know, Undertaker. So this is my, you know, hero, you know. So I just, you know,

I think, okay, one day I want to go do this. I want to, one day I want to go there. So, a lot of people say, no, don't go there. Don't go there. I say, man, I want to go there. No, no, no, no. You know, speaking English. You know, you know, you're not smart guy.

you go there, somebody kill you. I said, man, how's you kill me? I can kill you back. So, you know, everybody, I say, I want to go. So everybody said, don't go. Because, you know, that time you don't have social media, no have, you know, just only watch TV, then that's it, you know. Yeah.

So everybody says, no, don't go there. Don't go there. Don't go there. Keep breaking your legs. breaking your neck, you know, you hit you, then, you know, kill somebody hit you, you know, kill somebody, you know, you know, you're not enough smart guy. I said, man, you know, somebody comes, then I, if somebody said, if somebody said fight, I can give him ticket, you know, ass, you know, I don't care,

you know. So, then I come, you know, San Francisco, then I land. So my inside I thought my, you know, real, real fight. Jack, all this. So, the EPW coach, he's very short, I think maybe 5-8, some, you know,

because he's, hey, I'm the epitwhip, I just grab, you know, press his hand. He said, oh, no, no, no, no, no. Because I want to, you know, show my power. Yeah.

I said, maybe I say, okay, you know, I'm, you know. I thought maybe no. Somebody come? Stude. He said, no, no, no, no, please, please, please, no, no. I said, because I'm not speaking English. I just said, only. So he just said, only shake this like.

I said, okay. So, man, I started there, EPW, San Francisco, California. So first time, after one year, I go to Japan. Japan is just only fight, fight, don't, cycle is nothing. So, yeah, I fight there is almost three, four years. Then after I work, moving, then I come here. Did you speak any English when you moved to the United States? That I don't understand.

You know, I can't speak. I feel like your English has gotten a lot better. Now, a little bit better, a lot better, but a little better. Like on a scale of... Used to, used to and I just, I just, you just spoke with your actions. Yeah. You just beat people up.

Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. On a scale of one to 100, how good would you say your English is? My English? Yeah. You tell me, how...

I think it's like a 70. Yeah, what do you think? I think maybe 20. That's 20. We're able to have a conversation. When did you start working on your English? When I come here, you say, so, you know, every day you should need water.

So I'm just trying. I need some water, but I can speak. Yeah. So, you know, people, when you have need, then you need to teach English. you know what I said? Yeah. If you don't, if you, you know, have need,

so you can't learn English. So when I come here, so I just, I need a this, I need this. I can speak, but I just say, I need a bit, you know. Then I'll say, he need a word. Yeah. So I go, somebody takes me to tour.

So take up some juice, whatever, bread, whatever. So I can speak. I just grab, put the table. So one of my friends, they are called him, Cody. So he takes me all the time in the store because I know have car.

So I just pick up his chicken and bread, salad and juice. It's a long line, you know, a balmant long line. I just go front. Everybody said, oh, man, this big guy, man, dude. So my friend is laughing and saying, hey, man, why don't they stay your line?

I said, oh, man, I just go straight directly. So because I learn here something. India has different culture, you know. No have line, no nothing, you know. Scrolling with Haley. I am Haley Karene. I scroll with the homies here in the live chat because there's a lot to scroll through on X, on Instagram, on TikTok.

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Follow and listen on your favorite platform. Are you used to people looking at you? You've spent your whole life being so tall, everywhere you go. People are looking at you. Yeah. Are you used to that now? Yeah, I'm now used to now. Is it strange or different?

No, I'm used to that. I don't care now. I think it's good for you. People look me, that's why I'm the great colleague. People don't look me. Some of maybe normal guy, you know. So people look me, he makes special me. Yeah.

When I'm, first time I was shy, I just, you know, I'm so tall, why I'm tall, you know. Now I understand. I'm some, God makes me special. I feel like the longest yard changed your life. How did you get cast for that movie? Longest yard, yeah, I work in Japan. So, Van is casting a longest yard movie. So he needs a big guy or the big guy who's a big guy.

So there is Bob Saab and Goldberg. Goldberg and Strong Gold. Yeah. Keonash. So all the big guy, you know. So he find me. So in the Gubas, I say, hey, come over, you know,

I won't check how, you know, you are. So I just come, so, I don't feel like, yes, that's, that's I want. I don't know that. I really understand. No, no, no, no, this is perfect guy.

So I'm speaking English. That's not matter. You are my guy. You're my man. Then he select me. Did you feel that your life changed a lot after being in that movie? Oh, yeah. Yeah.

When I work with a movie, or I feel some special guy, you know. Teet, big, friend, feeling. You know, inside feeling, you know, look like start. Yeah. There's a scene where you're playing ping pong with Adam Sandler. Yeah, yeah.

How were your ping pong skills before shooting that scene? You know, I never play it, but it's just, you know, try, you know. Just bouncing. You're playing with yourself, then you end up playing with Adam. What was it like being on set with Adam Sandler? for my experience working him. Yeah. Oh, this is a good man.

He's a nice guy. And he teach me really good thing. I learn him a lot. Because when I work

is a Longest Yard movie in the go set so all the time he's big chain here you know and bracelet so you know and

sunglasses so then I work him I see him he all the time he all the time he won a t-shirt shorts

and I said you know So I said, this is a real hero. He's not fake. You know, all the guys, you know, Sunclass, it's something, you know. They're trying to look fancy.

All the guys try to look fancy. Yeah, they're trying to look like the rich. Yeah, rich and cool guys. But I saw this, I said, man, he's the man. So I learned him so many things. I don't learn one day because I work with him six months. You know, six months I work with him, go different, different place, different, every day is in the ground,

shoot. So I said, man, this is, his work is, you know, nice, that's why he's actor, you know. Yeah, he's a hard worker. Yeah, hard worker. But he feels very humble. Yeah, very humble, very humble. Just like you. So I change my style.

I throw all the things. I say, I don't need, I just. I don't need a just. I need to prove my work. You feel very humble as well. I'm trying, bro. Sometimes, you know, do some crazy thing, but I'm trying.

I believe you are the fourth most followed WWE superstar on Instagram. So it's The Rock. John Sina, Logan Paul, and you. Yeah, I think so. Like, you are wildly famous in India, right? Yeah. Like, if you were to walk into this hotel in India,

what would it look like? I can walk. You can't walk. I can't walk. People's everywhere. I want to sell it. I want to sell. I say, sometimes I'm, you know,

tie to the route, get up. Like, is it safe to say you? That is people say, okay. Is it safe to say you're one of the most famous people in India? Yeah, there is a different culture. But I mean, only wrestlers and I think is top wrestler, and famous and Indian people love me. Yeah.

Indian people support lots of me. Yeah, that's amazing. And all the media sports. You know, lots. You were the first Indian wrestler ever signed by WWE. Yeah. What did that mean to you at that time? That I'm, when I start, I think, okay, I just,

I want to work with a couple, maybe one year, two years, I don't know, when he's fired, maybe he liked, not like, because so many things, you know, question, you know. So when I start, wrestling, When first my debut, Undertaker. What a debut. So people called me all over, you know, all over India. Somebody said, a little confused in India first time,

who's this guy? Then he find out, oh, this Indian, Punjabi, jungle. Find out who is this Punjabi jungle, great family. Then he tried to surf in India. So every day he's going. calling, oh, you're the national news, you're the national news, you beat the Undertaker, you beat this, you beat this. So, first debut my WWD, I chapped the Great Underdaker.

So he made me star. Undertaker made me star. First, one day. After, who cares on that? After, you know, lose. Somebody kill me. I killed other guys. There is no matter.

But first, when I beat the Undertaker, worldwide, is really good man. How was the plan for you to debut against The Undertaker? Because what a shot, right? Undertaker's huge, and then you come out

and you're bigger than him. So how did that plan come together for you to work with the Undertaker in your debut? This is the idea being smitman. Benz-Mickman, I want to thank you so much, Bin-Simic-Mid.

So many guys say bad for Bin-S-Mick-Man. I say, this is real, real man. He's real man. Bean-S-Mick-Man, he's real man. Other guys, I don't care other guys, but Bins is really good. He's very hardcore businessman. He, some commitment to somebody, He's done.

He never lied. I feel he never lied. He never lied to you? Never, ever. He makes me start. This McMahon make me start. I never forget him. So you and The Undertaker

is just, it's a massive moment, right? Because you're showing how much bigger you are than him. Yeah. You're manhandling the Undertaker. Talk to me about, to debuting with The Undertaker? How is they explained? I can't explain.

Very excited men. And so I'm so happy when I just, you know, I heard this year, you were an Undertaker, you know. So Mark Henry had Undertaker match. Then I go out. So first, a face-to-face. face. So his shot, give me two, three shot me. Like, big sharp, great Khali sharp. That he's down. So, oh man, that's moment is, you know, very excited man, emotionally moment. Because when I start wrestling,

So that's dream. Come work, WWU Undertaker, you know, huge name. So I could chop him. So that's a very big thing for me, you know. Yeah. I can explain my, you know, I can, you know, explain how I'm happy that time. How did you come up with the chop being your move? How did you come this?

I think this is Michael, Michael. Well, he's the idea, business man. You are a big guy, big hand. He was just chopped. Head. Head. It was so funny when you were in the ring with Hornswoggle, right? Because you're so big.

He's so small. Tell me about working with Hornswoggle. Horacewaggle is good, you know. This is entertainment. Horatwaggle is good. When you slapped the Hornswaggle. When you slapped Horan Swargo. Yeah, yeah.

It sounds really good. He went flying. You fly, yeah. That's a great moment. Yeah, just really great moment. He's just outside something, maybe. He brings a string. The Shaleli?

Yeah. Fit Finley. Yeah. He brings this thing. He just tried to hit me. So I just throw and throw out slapping. He just sell this. This boom, boom, boom.

Who was your favorite opponent to work with? I think John Sinah and Triple H. This might, you know, more, I'm very excited, never complained, never say, oh, you hit hard, you this, why do this, why do this? John's going to never complain. Triple H never complained. I was like some little small, small thing, come down. You know, this is wrestling, you know. It felt like John Sina got you up for the attitude adjustment,

like you weighed nothing. Like, that guy is so strong. Yeah, I think he's the strongest guy in the WDWD. Really? I feel, yeah. Stronger than Mark Henry? I think so. Stronger than Cain?

I think so. Wow. It's very, very strong. Naturally strong. Some lot of people, you put in the theater and this, this, this is. I think John Sina is naturally strong man. When John Sina gave you the attitude adjustment off the crane, that was crazy.

How did that go for you? It's good. It's hard to me. Nothing. It's good. I like. But you probably fell 10 feet, 12 feet, something like that. Yeah.

Yeah. I feel like a guy your size doesn't get picked up like that very often. I think so. I don't know. My body does not look like that heavy. You don't think so? I think so. At your heaviest, what did you weigh?

How much did you weigh? 400 pounds? Used to. He used to 400 pounds. When I work at WWW, I think so 360. Okay. Yeah, 360, 370. When talking about John Cena, you had a moment where you saying,

happy birthday to John Cena. Oh, yeah. everybody come out, say, say, Johnson, I have today, birthday. I think Johnson and I have somebody match. So, AAA said, oh, come, all the guys, Greila behind the screen, you know. Let's go, let's go, let's go out.

Johnson and I have birthday. I said, okay. So I'm training outside. Triple A said, hey, Kali, can you sing happy birthday? That's okay. You didn't know about that before? No, no, I know.

It's just, you know, triple-age area. Can you sing for the Johnson, a heavy-bottet song? I said, okay. What did you think of you're singing? This is a happy birthday, you know. That's a great moment. Yeah, there's a great moment, man. People love it.

Yes. That's the WW men think, I think so. People buy, so you can do. How did you find out when you were going to win the WW World Heavyweight Championship? How you find? How did you find out? I find maybe just a two-hour go, two hours ago. Two hours before the match?

You should be a bend today. I said, really? Yeah, I'm so excited. So some people say, you know, you know, jealous, but who cares? This is being scored. Yeah. Well, people, you know, why come to WWE star, why WWO champion, you know, World Heavy Champion, why come, you know.

Was it the greatest moment of your WWE career? Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. What were your favorite matches when you were WWE World Heavyweight Champions? I saw me a good match. Batista, I have really good match, good story, both big guys. Yeah. And Undertaker, John Sheena.

I work all the superstar. I like, you know, I like work all, you know, really good. I was talking with Natalia yesterday. Really? She has so many nice things to say about you. She says you're one of her closest friends in the world. She was telling me how you taught her how to dance for this segment when you had a dance off with Fandango and Summer Ray.

Do you remember teaching Natty how to dance for that? Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm not a dancer guy, you know, but being said, oh, you dance, I say, man, one day, some movement, I don't know what kind of movement. this Mickman is in the ringside, he's just dancing, just look like this. I said, man, this is, you know, that is not a good dance, but he'll do it. I said, man, why know I dance? You know, why I don't dance, but I can, you know, I can try.

So, you know, and Natalia, she's my good friend, and she has, so good this. Yes. All right. I love it. Natalia, she's a really, really good girl. Yeah, she's so sweet. And she's a very, very smart girl. Both Natalia and Tyson kids.

Oh, yeah, TJ. T.J. Yeah. Both be. I'm driving together every day, so many times. Who were the people you traveled with? it the most. Who were you sharing a car with? I think me and in Italia and DJ.

Really? Yeah. And Jinder Mel too. Oh, and Jinder. Yeah. Yeah, is Jinder, you spoke the same language as Jinder, right? Yeah, me and Jinder speak, same language. That's great. Jinder was telling me that when you were getting into wrestling, you worked for the Punjabi police. So how did that end up happening? No, I'll start for Punjab police.

When I come at WW, first I work Punjabwe's, then I come WWE. He's a good man, you know. There is not have high payment monthly, but still something, you know, I never go in the job, you know. I can't imagine being a... Just go work out, just go work out. And he just every month take money. I can't imagine being arrested by you if you're a police officer. Did you arrest people?

No, no, because there is some sports quota something, what you call it? Oh, like a scholarship almost? Yeah, scholarship, you know, exactly. Okay, okay. So you should just participate for, you know, Punjab, present to Punjab police. You went from being like a monster in rest. serious to like, yeah, serious to like comedy wrestling.

Okay, okay. When did that change happen? Oh, when I'm serious, then I come as a comedy. Okay, yeah. Yeah. I got now. Yeah. I think so, I just say, I don't want to work more WWD, you know, after

the WD find out, he thinking, oh, Khali Zip wants to leave, he want to leave, he want to leave. So then he made me comedy comedy like a comedy wrestler. Comedy wrestler.

Because he won't kill my character. That's true. You know? You know that. So when I start wrestling,

all Indian botched wrestling every kids, woman, man, youngster, old, every, how many people have Indian? What is it, a billion people? Billion people, every billion people watch wrestling. Yeah, you're very famous in India. So he's thinking who he wants to leave. So he made me comedy wrestling.

Vince McMahon thought you wanted to leave? No. No. I know because I think so, I want to work in my own thing something. I just make a decision. I want to work my own thing something. You left WWE in 2014. Were you just done?

Were you ready to be done at that point in time? Yeah. I just want to leave. You just wanted to do other things? Yeah, I wanted to do my own things, you know. Yeah. And then you've returned once, right? Oh, you returned a few times, right?

Yeah, just one day, just one day, one appearance, you know. Yeah. I can't come full time. How'd they come up with the Punjabi Playboy? Punjabi Playboy, I think so. I don't know. How'd they come up with that character? Because it's so fun.

Yeah, I think so. When I say first time, after three years, I want to, I want to say, say, I want to leave. So he just tried to pay me more. I said, okay. But he's thinking, oh, he wants to leave. So then he tried to kill my crack. He won't kill my crack.

But Indian people love me. You try to kill my character, but Indian people understood. You know. Somebody, I hate you, I hate you, that's what to matter. You were on, on fan, he love you. You understand? Maybe I try to trash you, I try to, you know, kill your character.

But you are on, on fan, on family, or on your circle. Yeah. You know, see, he love you. Yeah. He understood. So you're saying no matter what you did, the Indian fans still cheered you. Yeah. Exactly.

Exactly. You know, I tell you one thing. How long I'm retired? Eight years, right? No, more than it. Well, your last match was 2018, the greatest Royal Rumble. Last match might hear. No.

You know, just come only one day come back. But 2014, I just quit the WWE. Over the my contract, then I quit. Okay? So people still remember me. Somebody quit 12 years ago. Nobody remember. You understand?

Yeah. no have something job. I have so many things. Why do you think that is? Why do you think you're so special? What is it about you that makes you so special? I think so, I just thinking positive. I do positive.

You think positive. I deliver, you know, somebody say, some, I have some commitment, then I deliver this thing. You know, I have almost 200 commercials. You want to commercial? Yeah. Redosement.

200 commercials? More than 200. Wow. So I make money, more than money. I work at World Over here full time. Yeah. I make more money than now. Wow.

You're making more money now than you were in WWA. Exactly. Wow. Yes. I saw a concrete commercial that you were in where you're walking through the wall. and you're breaking the wall, and you're breaking the ceiling. It was a very funny commercial. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, exactly. Cement. Yes. So you do a lot of commercials now. Yeah, I do so many commercials. Every week I shoot something commercial. Every big. Before you got into WWE, you were in some big movies.

You were in the longest yard that we talked about. You were in Get Smart, which The Rock was in. Do you think you would have continued that path making movies and acting in Hollywood? I'm not really interested. So many things. call me, so many call me Hollywood, Bollywood, hey, I want to give you something, you know, a character work movie. I said, I don't have time.

I can't work there. You know, no have that much money, you know. So would you act in anything else? I work more, I make more commercial. Would you be in any more movies? Is that interesting to you? No, I'm not interested. Oh, really? Somebody have really special. Somebody write a special role for me.

Somebody right, right for a row, special for me. Yeah. Then I can work. Like a character for you. Yeah. Then I can work.

Somebody I work, then somebody punch me. I just do this. I'm not. I'm the great family. I can't step, except somebody hit me. I am the, I am all the new generation kids.

I'm hero. You don't know what I'm hero? Kids is hero. For the new generation. Yeah. New generation, old generation, whatever. I'm the kid's hero. Somebody killed me.

I'm down. Then you say, oh, fuck, man. You know, ah, great, he's a real great colleague. Yeah. So I just want to protect my own credit. Yeah, that makes sense. Can you tell me about the Punjabi prison match? How did this become a thing?

Punjabi prison match, I mean, you know, so many things I forgot. First, when I have Punjabi prison match set of me and Undertaker, so John Hayes called me. me, you can't work with this. I said, man, come on, man. Only, I think, two, three, two days, two day four. Oh, you can't work with the, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh,

undertaker, but is no match. I said, man, come on, man, why? I don't work. No, no, no, I, you have something wrong, some blood, something, blah, blah, blah, I said, ah, man, I'm so excited, uh, sad at that time. I said, man, I think, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't I don't, maybe die, maybe very soon, maybe. I don't know what happened. So I go there.

So Undertaker and big show in the ring is practice. I mean, you know, you can't work a big show and Undertaker work with the personal match. I'm so fissed off. You know, I can explain, you know, this bad situation, you know. All the things build, you know. Then today, four, four, You said you can't work.

Yeah. They said it was a health issue, right? Yeah, some health issue, exactly. So after a match, you're over, second day, said, now you're good, you're good. Man, you know. WWE made it seem like you came up with the Punjabi prison match. Did you have any idea what this match would look like?

Like they said you invented it. I think I'm my character is Punjabi you know everybody say he's he's a bit of Punjabou

so ADA come there you know Punjabi priest you know yeah so there come

idea yeah bamboo I think it's bamboo bamboo bamboo yeah bamboo is something

and Jinder Mahal told me that match hurts so much. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, after, I work one time. One is canceled, then I work,

other one, me and Batista. Yeah. So, this is a good match, yeah. What's the most painful thing you ever did in a wrestling ring? I'm not really remember that. You didn't have any bad moments? No, no, I had...

Nothing too painful? One, one time, I think he'd share shot me, Undertaker, that I remember me, you know. But this makes me more, more grassy. When I, my, you come blood out, first cheer me, he's the other, the second one, and take out blood. But that doesn't make me wake up me. Then I never scared after me.

Oh. My head is going, you know, I don't care, forever. You know, first is really a little scary of me, if somebody hit me, somebody hit me, somebody. Then I say, okay, now I come here. I don't care. Eat me hard. My head is very strong.

How did you become the great colleague? This is called Vince McMahon. Vince McMahon. Vince, okay. Yeah. Vince said, stepney said, step me say, oh, he'll give it two choices. I think. Give it two choices?

Gandhi, great Gandhi, great colleague. I said, man, you know, I can't choose a Gandhi. But Gandhi is all the time a peaceful guy, you know. Yeah. And I can choose. just run in Gandhi, I say, okay, I, great help. But Vince McMahon wanted to make sure your name was great. Great.

You were going to have great in there. Yeah, exactly. Because before you were working under your real name for a little while, right? Yeah. No, when I come to WWW. When you were before WWA. Yeah, I work in Japan, Giant Singh. Giant Sing.

Yeah. Not really that famous thing or something, you know. Yeah. I work with the Leap Singh. Japan, Japan give you one name, Giant Singh. Yeah. What did it mean to you when you got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021? Oh, that's true, man.

So Ranjan Singh called me. He said, hey, Khali, I want to call you, call you later. Where are you? Home? Where are you? I say, okay. So after one hour I will call you. So I said, okay, Mark Hulano, want to talk, you, so whatever, you know.

So he just said, he doctor just said, all of him. So my voice said, ah, you know, big, whichever other, see, you know. Oh, yeah, because it was not in person. Yeah. During COVID. So, yeah. Wow, it's very saying, oh, yeah, you. You come in there, Rasminias, I said, okay, I'm so happy, whatever.

Yeah. So I feel sick that time. That time is grown up, you know. Like nervous? No, you know. Oh, because it's COVID. COVID time, that time, you know. Yeah, yeah.

So I feel India is sick a little bit, you know. You know, whatever, sick. I feel a little bit cold or whatever. So, man, I need to go there. So I test there. India, he just make posting me. I was, man, tomorrow I have flight.

How can I, you know, I can't go now. Because tomorrow I'm positive. So, then I go different, dog. I said, make negative. Don't make post in me. Because India is a little bit bark, you know.

So, don't make me positive, make negative. So you say, okay, you give me negative, you know. But still I'm sick, man. Sure, yeah. Honestly, but now you have a test. But I'm so excited to make you all of them, you know. Then I come, airport to hotel.

So they say, oh, Kali, you have a take just one hour rest, and you have COVID test. So what you call me, you know? COVID test. Yeah, COVID test. Yeah, COVID test. I said, okay. So me and my wife and my daughter, he's just both negative and positive.

Ah, man, I've got, you know. So no, no, no, you can stay. You stay this hotel. She can stay in other hotel, other room. So two, two, three days. Same, same, like my wife, my daughter, stay other hotel. I stayed only my

separate my room. So every day check, I'm positive. So that's why I know go stage. So after two, three days, after two, three days, then I say, there is a show,

then I go, you know, buildings, the doctor said, oh, you can go because And COVID, you have still COVID, but you can't spread, you know. Yeah. You're not contagious. Yeah.

You don't have some, you know, dangerous. You can go, whatever. But what an honor for you. What a moment that is for you to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. That's an amazing career you've had. Yeah, that's a good, man. You know, you know, that's a good thing. One step for life, this is really good, you know,

oh, you're Hall of Fame. Yeah. Nothing, nothing will give you some special, nothing, you know. You're not even wearing a ring. Only a wrestling world. Oh, yeah, he's the Hall of Famer. Otherwise, you know, make a difference. Yeah.

You're not even wearing the ring. No, I don't use to. It'd be more like a bracelet if I put it on. Who's the tallest wrestler you've worked with? Is Big Show taller than you? I think Big Show and me are same. Same height? Same height, yeah.

I saw that there was a photo of you guys recently at a convention. Yeah, yeah. And it looked so cool that you guys were... Richard is a nice guy, man. Yeah, he's great. Yeah. Yeah, but it's amazing seeing two guys that are seven feet tall. Yeah, yeah.

No, I saw any wrestler, I'm so happy. You know, because I work all the guys. all the wrestler, especially old, old wrestler, you know. So I feel so happy when I meet all the guys. It looked so real when you crushed Ray Mysterio's head. Talk to me about that match with Ray Mysterio. Yeah, that match, I remember San Antonio. California. So first, he just said,

Carrie, come face to face. So he'd come here. So I said, ah, so he bought this. See, Khali, this is my crowd. Listen by this crowd. I said, I listen. I listen. You know, all the, you know, booing me, chair of the Rame studio. So, whatever. Finally, I give this. I scraped him. He just throw down. After me and Dobori come in the parking lot, all the people throwing some rock. Oh, you motherfuckers, fucking kill you.

Remus Chia. There are so many Mexican people. Oh, they love him there. Yeah. Yeah. All the guys say, oh, you, motherfucker, you socks, you sucks, you sucks. That is so much thing, man. And nobody driving.

Well, you've got this vice grip on him, and then he starts bleeding out of his mouth. So like it looks so real. Gimic. Gimic. It's a blood capsule, right? But it looked so real. And people loved Ray Mysterio so much.

Yeah, yeah. And they hated you so much. Oh, yeah, yeah, exactly. It worked out so well. Yeah, it looked like that's something that little kids remember of like I hated great colleague because of what he did to Ray Mysterio. Yeah, yeah. Well, I remember one time, Dominal, you know, his son. Dominic? Yeah, Dominic. He's really young at the time. Yeah, he's not good, you know. So,

one day, he's coming the backstage. So I just, you like me. So me, you like me, you like me. Then he's, He said, later so somebody said, I don't like that. That's funny. Do you remember dressing up as the tooth fairy with that segment with the rock? Oh, man, that's so baddest time, man. But, you know, whatever. I do any kind, man, you know. I feel a little badass, try to kill my character.

Because they tried to kill your character. Yeah. So he said, he put the, he says, I said, okay, man. alive, but you know. Okay. I need them now leave here. Fuck, this is too much for me.

If you had it your way, you would have continued to be just like a monster, a bad guy, not the comedy character? You didn't want to do that? I think so, I don't know,

maybe a couple more years, maybe, you know. Yeah. But just tried to kill the character, I thought. No, I didn't need it. Maybe he killed a character. I remember one time.

And when you say he killed your character, Vince McMahon? I tell you a story. I tell you a story. Why try to hit me? Why try to hit me? Because my agent, he gave you offer me the Get Smart movie. Yeah, with the Rock. Rock, yeah.

So he's just called a WWE. He said, hey, great guy, you have some movie offer. Yeah. If you give you permission, so then I can talk more. Yeah. I can serve to this offer, you know, horrible, you know. So he said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He can work.

You know, he can. He can work. Yeah. Go ahead. So you got permission. Yeah. He gave you some emails. my agent.

Okay. After I come champion WWE so WWWD says, no, no, no, no, no, no. I, you can't go

work movie. You can. So my agent said, no, no, no, he gives you permission, permission me. WWW will give you permission me. Yeah. So, why?

So why he says no? I say, what can I do now? So he said, you want work movie? My agency. Yes, I say, I want to work movie and I want to work wrestling. This is good. Okay. Dobry, I take care of him.

So he, this is my agency for David Dovidovie. So should we give you permission? Because you ask already for, now he say no, but first you say yes, he can go. Now I talk to the, you know, there. So now he says no. Then do you do. Do you say me, what do you want? You want to work?

If you know, I want to make big look like Andrraja giant. I want to make, bigger than under the giant, don't go. I say, man, I want to go both men, but, you know, movie, you know. I want to go work movie and the rest of the movie. Yeah. Then maybe he may be hurting his feeling. Maybe don't do this, ah, okay, you know, listening me, he's listening to us. That's why maybe, maybe.

Why do you think they didn't want you to do the movie? That is, I don't know. I don't know why he won't stay the only wrestling. And when you say he was trying to kill your character, was that Vince McMahon? Or was it somebody else?

I'm just asking Vince McMahon. Maybe somebody, you know. Somebody around him. I see. You know? I don't say Vince McMahon. Vince McMahon is a nice guy. He never said,

no, never say nothing. But somebody, you know, say, make something. What does life look like for you now? What keeps you busy now? You own restaurants, you own hotels. What other businesses are you doing in India? I do property business.

You own properties? Yeah, property and shoot commercial. Amazing. Did you ever think, that you would be a big star like this? I never think of it. Never, ever. I thought, only I work with Punjabers,

I'm happy and it's great, you know, very nice job. Yeah. WWE changed your life? WW changed my life. Yeah, it's amazing. You know, movie, I work movies, that's okay. But WW changed my life.

Yeah. That's why I never forget. That's why I don't want to talk bad for WWD. This really good, we make my life. Yeah. Natalia told me that you would never say no to someone when they wanted to take a picture with you. You say yes to everyone,

especially every kid that wants to take a photo with you. Yeah, yeah. You know, all the kids make start, man. The kids make you a star? Yeah, kids make a star. If you kids know, take picture, who gets? Also, when someone meets you, they'll never forget it, right? You're seven feet tall.

Yeah. You don't forget meeting someone who, who's this tall, right? So I feel like if someone meets you, they'll never forget that moment. They'll never forget the way that you treated them and the way that you interacted with them. You know, like you're unforgettable.

Exactly. Yeah. Who do you think are the greatest big men of all time in pro wrestling? Big men? Yes. What do you mean? Hyderby?

Yes. Higher by the, that's a big show. Okay. Undertaker? Hidebys, Babe, Andre. Andre. Yeah. And Amos, you know.

Amos, yeah. It's big, but no have that name, you know. We haven't seen him in a while. We haven't seen Omas in a while. You see? He hasn't been in WWE. Yeah, I saw only one time. Yeah, he's been like a year or two since he's been in WWE.

Collie, you have so many fans in India that are watching this right now. Do you want to look directly into that camera right there and speak directly to them. Say whatever you want to say. So, thank you. Good, thank you. I'm a great haly. And I want to tell you,

my Chris'c with this podcast has been very, very much, it's really, but English my good name is. You know, you have. So, look, you have, you know. If you're any, uh,

uh, so jose-o-o-hung, then we'll, we'll make the next video sure make it. So you have please

to see. And you know and I'm Facebook on Facebook on Instagram

on YouTube on you know you follow can't Jah Bahra.

Thank you so much. Is this your first English podcast you've ever done? Yeah.

Thank you so much for doing this. Thank you bro. Thanks for invited, bro. My pleasure

and gratitude's a really big thing for me being thankful. Collie, what are three things right now

that you're grateful for that you're thankful for in your life? Life, my life, my wife, my kids. And those are three great things. The United States Soccer Federation presents the U.S. Soccer Podcast. The place where I, Megan Klingerberg, a World Cup expert, teaches you everything that you need to know for this summer's World Cup.

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