'For the first time I looked up': The Great Khali on meeting 8-foot-2 teenager Karan Singh

The Great Khali remains one of India’s most prominent sporting figures, credited with placing Indian wrestling on the international stage.

A meeting between World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Hall of Famer The Great Khali and 17-year-old Karan Singh from Meerut, who stands at 8 feet 2 inches, captured global attention this week. Videos of their encounter, shared by Khali on Instagram, quickly circulated across social media platforms, drawing fascination and humour from wrestling fans worldwide.

The interaction took place at Khali’s CWE Wrestling Academy, where the former wrestler expressed an interest in guiding Singh towards a career in professional wrestling. In one recording, the pair were seen shaking hands inside the ring. Khali, whose real name is Dalip Singh Rana, tilted his head upwards and remarked with a smile: “For the first time in my life, I had to look upwards to talk to someone.”

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Praising the teenager’s stature and potential, Khali added: “He is a very tall kid. I want to make him a WWE superstar. I want to really help him.”

Singh, who is known online as @tallestkaran, has more than 66,000 followers on Instagram, where he documents aspects of his daily life as one of the tallest living teenagers. His growth first drew international coverage in 2017, when he was identified as the tallest eight-year-old in the world. Reports suggest that his height continues to increase.

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The online response to the meeting was extensive. One viewer commented: “Great Khali meets Greater Khali.” Another joked: “Gonna tell my kids this was Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal.” A third user quipped: “When hacker meets developer.” Others teased Singh’s towering frame with remarks such as “How is the weather up there?” and “Bro made Great Khali look smaller.”

The Great Khali remains one of India’s most prominent sporting figures, credited with placing Indian wrestling on the international stage. His popularity has endured through his performances in WWE and his active presence on social media, where his videos regularly attract viral attention.

Beyond wrestling, Khali has appeared in both Hollywood and Bollywood films. His credits include "The Longest Yard" (2005), "Get Smart" (2008), and "MacGruber" (2010) in the United States, as well as Indian productions such as "Kushti" (2010) and "Ramaa: The Saviour" (2010).