Rise of the Great Khali
Other bloggers have discussed their convictions regarding manly men, but Dalip Singh Rana from Himachal Pradesh may have taken this concept to a whole new level.
At a mere 7 feet, 3 inches and 420 pounds, Dalip Singh is blazing a new trail into World Wrestling Entertainment.
He is the first Indian to be signed up by WWE, and enjoys top billing in the famous American showbiz circus alongside fighters such as Hulk Hogan and The Rock.
The WWE website says of Rana:
This enormous monster has walked the jungles of India unafraid of pythons and wrestled White Bengal tigers. Legend states that the Punjabi Warrior has “stared into the abyss and the earth trembled at his gaze.
Who is this Punjabi Warrior of the WWE world? According to the BBC:
A giant former labourer from India who has become an international wrestling sensation… When he was not working, women in his village of Dhirana would often call him to do what they call heavy duty work: lifting cattle from one barn to another.
Ladies, if he’s your type, I’m sorry but he’s already taken.
Rana says he is a vegetarian and abhors alcohol and tobacco. He says he lives a “simple life” with his homemaker wife Harminder Kaur. “I have no fancy villa or cars. I live in a simple home and do not have the money to order a customised car that would fit my size,” he says.
Branching out from WWE, Rana is currently shooting a documentary about his life in India, has already had roles in Hollywood films such as The Longest Yard and Get Smart, and is now considering roles in Bollywood. He also spent a year in Japan performing mock fights as “Giant Singh” before debuting as a professional wrestler in the US in 2000.
Mr. Rana is definitely not someone I would want to mess with, but I wonder if he/WWE realize that the way they’ve spelled “Great Khali” looks more like the Great Empty rather than the goddess of destruction (normally spelled ‘Kali‘).
40 Responses to “Rise of the Great Khali”
but I wonder if he/WWE realize that the way they’ve spelled “Great Khali” looks more like the Great Empty rather than the goddess of destruction (normally spelled ‘Kali‘).
World Wrestling Entertainment did this on purpose. This way the name will stand out and not mixed up when its googled. The name Great Khali is also a copyright of WWE. So if Dalip Singh was to leave and go wrestle for another company he could not use that name and would have to use his real name.
but I wonder if he/WWE realize that the way they’ve spelled “Great Khali” looks more like the Great Empty rather than the goddess of destruction (normally spelled ‘Kali‘).
World Wrestling Entertainment did this on purpose. This way the name will stand out and not mixed up when its googled. The name Great Khali is also a copyright of WWE. So if Dalip Singh was to leave and go wrestle for another company he could not use that name and would have to use his real name.
oh boy, WWE is horrible on so many levels and a punjabi wrestler only makes me cringe more… check this out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ikDXcfzA848
Sonny,
I agree, the WWE is disturbing on many levels, and as the link you posted points out- what it implies about us, the audience, is even more disturbing- what does it say about the audience when the audience is numb towards violence and so entertained by women being humiliated/forcefully subordinated?
Thanks for the link sonny. Interesting and informative… I am still digesting the thesis.
oh boy, WWE is horrible on so many levels and a punjabi wrestler only makes me cringe more… check this out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ikDXcfzA848
Sonny,
I agree, the WWE is disturbing on many levels, and as the link you posted points out- what it implies about us, the audience, is even more disturbing- what does it say about the audience when the audience is numb towards violence and so entertained by women being humiliated/forcefully subordinated?
Thanks for the link sonny. Interesting and informative… I am still digesting the thesis.
Lest we forget Tiger Singh Ali…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukZ4cGE5QWc
Lest we forget Tiger Singh Ali…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukZ4cGE5QWc
The name "Tiger Ali Singh" is an attempt at capitalizing on the name and reputation of Tiger Jeet Singh – perhaps the most famous Punjabi professional wrestler to go mainstream (outside of the US).
Tiger Jeet Singh is 64 now, but his name still has huge recognition in Japan, where there was (is?) also a running comic book serial devoted to his escapades. Check out this old documentary on him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aqf76_aM9g
Reema,
A point of interest perhaps, the introduction of women into the WWF and the sexualized themes are a relatively recent introduction to the professional wrestling arena. The same holds true for the seemingly ever-increasing outrageous acts committed by the entertainers/wrestlers.
I used to watch the WWF (now the WWE) with my brother, and dad through elementary school, and into my early teens. Pretty much every guy I knew, also watched wrestling. Then, at some point in time, the WWF became a soap opera of sorts, scantily-clad women became a part of the wrestling scene, and more sexualized themes became a part of the show.
—————
As for the violence, that has always been a part of the show…and, along with the clear and unambigious presentation of good vs bad, heroes vs villains – has always been a factor of professional wrestling's mass appeal.
For better or worse, and feminists will certainly agree with me, some forms of violence have a particular appeal for most men. It's why we like boxing. It's why we love knockouts in boxing. It's why we like huge hits in football, and hockey, that leave one man crumpled on the ground. It's why, when we were kids, we'd rush to see a school-yard scrap.
The name “Tiger Ali Singh” is an attempt at capitalizing on the name and reputation of Tiger Jeet Singh – perhaps the most famous Punjabi professional wrestler to go mainstream (outside of the US).
Tiger Jeet Singh is 64 now, but his name still has huge recognition in Japan, where there was (is?) also a running comic book serial devoted to his escapades. Check out this old documentary on him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aqf76_aM9g
Reema,
A point of interest perhaps, the introduction of women into the WWF and the sexualized themes are a relatively recent introduction to the professional wrestling arena. The same holds true for the seemingly ever-increasing outrageous acts committed by the entertainers/wrestlers.
I used to watch the WWF (now the WWE) with my brother, and dad through elementary school, and into my early teens. Pretty much every guy I knew, also watched wrestling. Then, at some point in time, the WWF became a soap opera of sorts, scantily-clad women became a part of the wrestling scene, and more sexualized themes became a part of the show.
—————
As for the violence, that has always been a part of the show…and, along with the clear and unambigious presentation of good vs bad, heroes vs villains – has always been a factor of professional wrestling’s mass appeal.
For better or worse, and feminists will certainly agree with me, some forms of violence have a particular appeal for most men. It’s why we like boxing. It’s why we love knockouts in boxing. It’s why we like huge hits in football, and hockey, that leave one man crumpled on the ground. It’s why, when we were kids, we’d rush to see a school-yard scrap.
Amen (or is it more appropriate to say 'Aman') P.Singh. Do you remember Macho Man Randy Savage and Scary Sherri? Or Wendy Richter? The women of the WWF in the 1980s were of a different breed. The pornographication of the WWF came later.
Amen (or is it more appropriate to say ‘Aman’) P.Singh. Do you remember Macho Man Randy Savage and Scary Sherri? Or Wendy Richter? The women of the WWF in the 1980s were of a different breed. The pornographication of the WWF came later.
Mewa Singh,
lol – yes, I do remember Scarry Sherri and who could forget the Macho Man – "ooooh yeahhhhh!" And agreed, the silicone show didn't really exist in the 80's.
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was a favorite in the WWF when I was really young – I think part of it must have been that he was the only brown dude on the show
I'm not sure if you're from Canada or not, but we had our own wrestling organization before WWF gobbled up all of the smaller shows.
For us, it was Calgary Stampede Wrestling. This was run by the legendary Stu Hart, and it was where the Hart brothers, including Brett Hart started out.
It was also where a number of Punjabi guys used to wrestle. Gadowar Singh Sahota (his ring name was Gama Singh), his brother Akam Singh, and their white friend named Makhan Singh – the name of their group…wait for it…wait for it…The Karachi Vice.
On another tangent, there was a phenomenal Punjabi wrestler from Amritsar called Gama who wrestled in the early 1900's when wrestling was real. He traveled to Europe and the States and went undefeated, beating a number of highly regarded wrestlers. He wasn't a big guy for a heavy-weight – 5'7 and about 200lbs – but ridiculously strong, and athletic.
Reknowned champions like Frank Gotch and George Hackenshmidt, athletes at the top of their game and considered monsters of their time, simply refused to accept Gama's challenge – he was that good.
I have attached a link to an article on Gama, which is well-worth a read: The Lion of the Punjab
P. Singh and Mewa Singh,
Thank you for the clarification on WWE vs. WWF. I too agree the over-sexualization of women and pornographic scenes are more of a WWE trademark. As a girl who watched the WWF with her brother and grandfather, I don't recall seeing any of the horrible scenes the WWE is producing today (I would not have been allowed to watch the show with them if that was going on then).
I also remember running around our porch acting like it was our ring by "bouncing-off" the wooden planks and standing on our dressers as we flew onto our beds like "wrestlers". The thought of children acting out the current WWE scenes horrifies me!
Mewa Singh,
lol – yes, I do remember Scarry Sherri and who could forget the Macho Man – “ooooh yeahhhhh!” And agreed, the silicone show didn’t really exist in the 80’s.
Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka was a favorite in the WWF when I was really young – I think part of it must have been that he was the only brown dude on the show
I’m not sure if you’re from Canada or not, but we had our own wrestling organization before WWF gobbled up all of the smaller shows.
For us, it was Calgary Stampede Wrestling. This was run by the legendary Stu Hart, and it was where the Hart brothers, including Brett Hart started out.
It was also where a number of Punjabi guys used to wrestle. Gadowar Singh Sahota (his ring name was Gama Singh), his brother Akam Singh, and their white friend named Makhan Singh – the name of their group…wait for it…wait for it…The Karachi Vice.
On another tangent, there was a phenomenal Punjabi wrestler from Amritsar called Gama who wrestled in the early 1900’s when wrestling was real. He traveled to Europe and the States and went undefeated, beating a number of highly regarded wrestlers. He wasn’t a big guy for a heavy-weight – 5’7 and about 200lbs – but ridiculously strong, and athletic.
Reknowned champions like Frank Gotch and George Hackenshmidt, athletes at the top of their game and considered monsters of their time, simply refused to accept Gama’s challenge – he was that good.
I have attached a link to an article on Gama, which is well-worth a read: The Lion of the Punjab
P.Singh,
Haha thanks for the link. Fascinating read.
While not from Canada, I was a fan a little to the south here in the states.
I definitely remember the Harts. All my Canadian female cousins were in love with Bret Hart.
See I, too, looked for brown heroes, even though for goray they were the villains. Since I didn't have Sikh options I chose the 'Iron Sheikh.' Afterall, he had shoes like my dad. The Iron Sheikh's defeat to Hollywood Hogan helped launch what I would call the "Golden Age of the WWF." My other brown hero was Junkyard Dog, although I guess he was black.
For me, my wrestling infatuation came to an end after Wrestlemania VI. It was just too much for me to watch the Ultimate Warrior battle it out with Hulk Hogan. The emotional rollercoaster was too taxing and after that I was done.
However, my dad, while always watching with me, would only laugh about fake it all is and always comment how he saw Dara Singh fight in our village and how Dara Singh could beat these people up, and on and on and on.
P. Singh and Mewa Singh,
Thank you for the clarification on WWE vs. WWF. I too agree the over-sexualization of women and pornographic scenes are more of a WWE trademark. As a girl who watched the WWF with her brother and grandfather, I don’t recall seeing any of the horrible scenes the WWE is producing today (I would not have been allowed to watch the show with them if that was going on then).
I also remember running around our porch acting like it was our ring by “bouncing-off” the wooden planks and standing on our dressers as we flew onto our beds like “wrestlers”. The thought of children acting out the current WWE scenes horrifies me!
haha . . . I was also in love w/ Bret Hart. I liked macho man too, we used to sing that song all the time, macho macho man. We all used to watch WWF back in the days. Me, my brothers and cousins. I remember our family friends, the uncles and the baba jis used to watch it too, even the bibia. They were so into it too.
Yeah, it's definitely not the same anymore. I haven't watched for years. But I guess that's w/ everything. Since all entertainment is being more sexualized. But it's too bad, when you put too much salt in the dal, you loose the flavor. Same here, they've overspiced it.
P.Singh,
Haha thanks for the link. Fascinating read.
While not from Canada, I was a fan a little to the south here in the states.
I definitely remember the Harts. All my Canadian female cousins were in love with Bret Hart.
See I, too, looked for brown heroes, even though for goray they were the villains. Since I didn’t have Sikh options I chose the ‘Iron Sheikh.’ Afterall, he had shoes like my dad. The Iron Sheikh’s defeat to Hollywood Hogan helped launch what I would call the “Golden Age of the WWF.” My other brown hero was Junkyard Dog, although I guess he was black.
For me, my wrestling infatuation came to an end after Wrestlemania VI. It was just too much for me to watch the Ultimate Warrior battle it out with Hulk Hogan. The emotional rollercoaster was too taxing and after that I was done.
However, my dad, while always watching with me, would only laugh about fake it all is and always comment how he saw Dara Singh fight in our village and how Dara Singh could beat these people up, and on and on and on.
haha . . . I was also in love w/ Bret Hart. I liked macho man too, we used to sing that song all the time, macho macho man. We all used to watch WWF back in the days. Me, my brothers and cousins. I remember our family friends, the uncles and the baba jis used to watch it too, even the bibia. They were so into it too.
Yeah, it’s definitely not the same anymore. I haven’t watched for years. But I guess that’s w/ everything. Since all entertainment is being more sexualized. But it’s too bad, when you put too much salt in the dal, you loose the flavor. Same here, they’ve overspiced it.
dalip singh rana is mine guru
dalip singh rana is mine guru
Do NOT forget dalip singh rana is Noormehlia and disciple of Baba Ashotush .
you can also find his youtube dancing with Ashotush baba on his Shoulders
But even if he was a sikh , Just an ironical thing, Now after his popularization and simply many people cannot digest the idea of sikh/punjabi going top of world made him
'hindu and non-punjabi'
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080…
Do NOT forget dalip singh rana is Noormehlia and disciple of Baba Ashotush .
you can also find his youtube dancing with Ashotush baba on his Shoulders
But even if he was a sikh , Just an ironical thing, Now after his popularization and simply many people cannot digest the idea of sikh/punjabi going top of world made him
‘hindu and non-punjabi’
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080212063937AAiQy3X
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