"It’s very close to my heart" - WWE Hall of Famer recalls The Undertaker's influence on his career

Former WWE Superstar, The Great Khali, cited The Undertaker as his inspiration for getting into professional wrestling.

The Great Khali was the first Indian superstar to join WWE. Debuting on SmackDown in April 2006 as a heel, he got into an intense feud with The Deadman as the former interrupted a match between Taker and Mark Henry.

The seven-foot superstar's first title reign came when he won the World Heavyweight Championship in 2007 by eliminating Batista and Kane in a 20-man Battle Royal. In addition to The Phenom, some of The Great Khali's notable feuds were against Batista and Kane. Last year, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

During a recent interaction with Gaelyn Mendonca of WWE Now India, the former superstar talked about the impact The Undertaker had on his career and how his win over the legend was an unforgettable moment.

“I started wrestling after watching The Undertaker. He was my inspiration to get into the business. It was such a memorable moment for me [getting a win over The Undertaker]. It was a challenging match for me but it was equally momentous. It’s very close to my heart," said Khali. [H/T Wrestling Inc]

The Great Khali's last match on SmackDown was on the October 31st edition, where he defeated Rusev. Since then, he has made sporadic appearances in the company. Before the Stamford-based promotion, Khali had brief stints with WCW, NJPW, and AJPW.

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WWE Hall of Famer The Great Khali is currently focussing on his wrestling school

In 2015, The Great Khali opened his wrestling school, Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE), in Punjab, India. At the school, Khali trains young and upcoming talent from across the country.

In the same interaction, the former world champion talked about his motivation for starting a wrestling school in India. He added that it was a tough journey to get into the promotion, and he did not want to be the last Indian to sign with the company.

“It was my dream to start an academy in India. Since I was a wrestler myself, I did not want to be the last wrestler from India to join WWE. I wanted more young wrestlers from India to go to WWE to make India proud. I had a very hard time when I started my journey. Going from India, getting a visa in the US, finding a good academy to get trained. It was a tough path for me," said Khali.[H/T Wrestling Inc]

The former world champion made his last in-ring appearance at the 2018 Greatest Royal Rumble, participating in the 50-man battle royal.