Watch: Great Khali Helps Jinder Mahal Beat Randy Orton At WWE Battleground

The Great Khali made a surprising return to WWE on Sunday night after three years away from the company.

Ghreat Khali Jinder Mahal Randy Orton WWE Battleground

The Indian wrestler — who was born Dalip Singh Rana and who will be 45 next month — emerged late in Jinder Mahal’s Punjabi Prison match against Randy Orton at SmackDown’s WWE Battleground to help his compatriot escape the cage at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and defeat Orton, a 13-time world champion, for his third-ever Punjabi Prison match and retain his WWE championship.

Mahal was also helped by the Singh Brothers — Sunil and Samir Singh, an Indio-Canadian duo who compete as part of the SmackDown brand — to boast an entourage of four in his fight against Orton, with who Mahal has shared heated exchanges recently.

Every time a door was opened, Mahal and Orton fought hard, and each wrestler nearly escaped three or four times before the door was slammed shut in their faces.

The 7-foot-1 Khali — whose contract with WWE SmackDown expired in 2014 and who had been wrestling in India ever since — shook the cage violently several times to trap Orton inside the cage and then choked him out from the outside to seal the victory for Mahal.

Orton managed a few vertical suplexes inside the prison, although the match didn’t really become exciting until the fourth door was opened. After Orton hit an RKO, the Singh Brothers made a big move: the pair slid out from under the ring, pulled Mahal out of the inner cage in the final seconds, and forced Orton to climb the inner prison.

Orton then moved over to the outer cage, and he and the Singh Brothers fought at the top of that outer structure before making their way back to the ground. The brothers then double-teamed Orton while Mahal recovered and climbed to also corner Orton.

Mahal and the Singh Brothers then began using kendo sticks they took from under the ring. Orton hit a hangman’s DDT with Mahal’s legs wrapped around the prison, and then smacked both Mahal and Sunil Singh with a steel chair to seemingly claim the match. However, after Orton reached the top of the cage, Mahal’s music began and Khali walked out to choke Orton and secure the title for Mahal, his third straight victory over Orton.

Among those watching the match from the front row was Orton’s father, WWE Hall of Famer “Cowboy” Bob Orton, who was sitting beside several other WWE legends.

It remains unknown whether or not Khali will remain with SmackDown for long, but his return on Sunday undoubtedly energized scores of WWE fans.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 15: WWE Wrestler The Great Khali attends the WWE Smackdown Photo Call at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel June 15, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Gaye Gerard/Getty Images)