Former World Heavyweight Champion says WWE tried to k*ll his character in segment with The Rock

A former WWE World Heavyweight Champion featured in a hilarious segment alongside The Rock over a decade ago. He recently addressed the angle and its potential affect on his on-screen character.

On the May 2, 2011, edition of RAW, WWE celebrated The Rock’s 39th birthday. The party featured several superstars and legends. Khali, who was among the most dangerous heels on the roster at one point, dressed up as The World’s Largest Tooth Fairy for the celebration. Khali had a brief exchange with The Final Boss before Ron Simmons interrupted them with his iconic “Damn” catchphrase.

The hilarious segment featuring The Rock, Simmons, and The Great Khali is still fresh in fans’ minds. However, many believed it damaged the credibility of the former World Heavyweight Champion’s on-screen gimmick.

Khali was a guest on the latest edition of Insight with Chris Van Vliet. During the chat, the Hall of Famer addressed dressing up as the tooth fairy for Rocky’s 39 birthday. The Indian superstar claimed that the creative team attempted to destroy his character by booking him to play the tooth fairy for the angle.

“Oh man, that’s so bad. Well, you know, whatever. I feel a little embarrassed, tried to k*ll my character,” Khali said. [H/T: chrisvanvliet.com]

Khali was embarrassed of his booking on the aforementioned episode of RAW. He later adopted the Punjabi Playboy character on television. The gimmick saw him k*ss members of the audience.

The Great Khali called The Rock his “hero” in WWE

The Great Khali last wrestled in WWE in April 2018. However, his last one-on-one match for the promotion took place on an episode of SmackDown in October 2014 against RAW Superstar Rusev. Many fans wish to see The Punjabi Playboy lace up his wrestling boots again.

In March 2026, Khali appeared in an interview for Monopoly Events. During the conversation, the former World Heavyweight Champion said The Rock was his hero and he wanted to face the Hollywood megastar in the ring.

The Final Boss last appeared on WWE programming at Elimination Chamber 2025. He was the catalyst for John Cena’s unexpected heel turn on the show. It will be interesting to see if Rocky returns to the sports entertainment juggernaut later this year.