You might remember back in February of this year, The Great Khali ran a pro wrestling event in India during which he was “injured” and reportedly taken to a medical facility.
Indian media reported that The Great Khali had suffered a “severe head injury” and was admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital during the first ever “The Great Khali Wrestling Show” event for Continental Wrestling Entertainment.
News Laundry has posted a new article looking at how Indian media reported Khali’s injury as legitimate, and treated the entire angle as real. The article also discusses the difference between how the Indian media reports on wrestling vs Western media’s coverage of wrestling, adding “[Western media will] stress upon the artifice by using phrases like ‘storyline’ and ‘scripted entertainment’.” The article also offers comments from Khali:
101reporters spoke with Khali, who politely declined to comment on the media coverage but did express dismay that controversies have cropped up as his product was misunderstood. He stated that just like the WWE, the CWE is into “sports entertainment”. He stressed upon the entertainment aspect and requested that these matches be viewed in this context alone.
While Khali’s heartburn, caused by media’s latest misadventure, will vanish soon, this episode is a telling comment on the glaring lack of critical thinking in newsrooms.
The Great Khali
The Great Khali #1
HALDWANI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali injured during a sporting event on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #2
HALDWANI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali, during a sporting event where he was injured on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #3
HALDWANI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali, during a sporting event where he was injured on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #4
HALDWANI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali, during a sporting event where he was injured on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #5
HALDWANI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali, during a sporting event where he was injured on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #6
DEHRADUN, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali brought to Dehradun for treatment after suffering from head and neck injuries during a professional fight on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #7
DEHRADUN, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali brought to Dehradun for treatment after suffering from head and neck injuries during a professional fight on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #8
DEHRADUN, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali brought to Dehradun for treatment after suffering from head and neck injuries during a professional fight on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #9
HALDWANI, INDIA FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali, during a sporting event where he was injured on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #10
HALDWANI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali injured during a sporting event on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Great Khali #11
HALDWANI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 24: Dalip Singh Rana, a former WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) wrestler better known by his ring name The Great Khali, during a sporting event where he was injured on February 24, 2016 in Haldwani, India. The wrestler, who has appeared in four Hollywood and two Bollywood movies, was reportedly participating in the first event of The Great Khali Wrestling Show at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium when he suffered the injuries. Born in a Punjabi Rajput family in Dhiraina, Himachal Pradesh, Khali was an officer with the Punjab state police before he became a professional wrestler. He won his first WWE heavyweight championship in July 2007. (Photo by Rohit Umraon/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)