There has never been a more divisive figure in WWE, perhaps now greater than ever, than former chairman Vince McMahon. Despite multiple lawsuits involving McMahon at the present moment, many WWE stars of past and present have chosen to stay by him. Considered one of those stars is WWE Hall of Famer The Great Khali, who told Chris Van Vliet on “Insight” that it was McMahon’s idea to debut him against The Undertaker, to be certain he looked like an enormous. He said he’s grateful for McMahon.
“So many guys say bad [things] about Vince McMahon. I say he’s the person,” Khali said. “Vince is basically good. He’s a really hardcore business man… He never lied [to me.] He made me a star. Vince McMahon made me a star. I’ll always remember him.”
Khali said regardless of what he did in WWE, regardless of what his storylines called for, the people in India loved him. He explained, nevertheless, in 2014, he quit WWE when his contract expired.
“I quit. People still remember me,” he said. “Any person quits, 12 years ago, no one remembers. They haven’t got a job. I even have so many things… I just think positive.”
Khali said he makes more cash now than he did full-time in WWE. He explained he’s shooting commercials every week, and he already has greater than 200 under his belt.
After leaving WWE, Khali founded his own wrestling promotion in Punjab in early 2015. He’s made sporadic appearances for the corporate within the years that followed, most recently on the Best Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia in April 2018. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021.
In case you use any quotes from this text, please credit “Insight with Chris Van Vliet” and supply a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.