Mere days before the Great American Bash, there looms much speculation and equal trepidation surrounding what many are calling the most dangerous contest in sports-entertainment: the Punjabi Prison Match.

It was three weeks ago that the colossal Great Khali laid out the challenge to Undertaker to meet him in the first Punjabi Prison Match in WWE history. Neither Daivari nor Khali himself have revealed any details about exactly what the Punjabi Prison Match is. In a match where the rules (if any) and parameters are unknown, how can Undertaker walk into Indianapolis prepared?

WWE.com spoke with several wrestling veterans to discern the nature of what both Undertaker and The Great Khali will walk into on Sunday night, and to learn how they believe The Phenom can prepare.

WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter has wrestled across all continents in his 30-year career, but has never seen the Punjabi Prison Match with his own two eyes.

Sgt. Slaughter has wrestled in countless high-risk, lethal, specialty matches, including a vicious series of Boot Camp and Steel Cage matches with his rival, the Iron Sheik in the early 1980s. But Slaughter has also been in matches where he was not aware of the stipulations, just as Undertaker will be at the Great American Bash. Given the circumstances, Slaughter said that it will be nearly impossible for the Deadman to have any control of the match.

“Only once [Undertaker] goes in there and surveys the situation can he be ready,” added Slaughter. “But I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.”

With ample experience in competing overseas, SmackDown Superstar William Regal has competed amongst men who spoke of the Punjabi Prison Match.

“In 1992, I spent the month of March in India wrestling for [multi-time Punjab World Champion] the great Dara Singh, and I heard whispers of the Punjabi Prison Match. With those whispers there was a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety by the Indian wrestlers,” said Regal. “There was definitely evil in the air when it was spoken of.”

Undertaker is certainly familiar with all things evil, but the Punjabi Prison could be an evil that even he could not expect. According to Regal, the Phenom will need to “expect the unexpected” on Sunday.

“Unfortunately,” said the royal Court member, “sometimes the unexpected can be something that you wish you never encountered.”

In his versatile career, SmackDown’s newest commentator, John Bradshaw Layfield has similar experience to Regal, having only heard several storied tales of the mysterious Punjabi Prison.

“I’ve wrestled in the Middle East many times and I’ve wrestled all over in India. I’ve run into a lot of people that talked about the Punjabi Prison Match, but I’ve never heard of anyone who has ever seen one. It’s like a fabled myth, I thought it wasn’t real,” JBL said. 

Having collided with Undertaker in the past, JBL said that despite his unmatched resilience, the Phenom may not make it out of the Punjabi Prison at the Bash.

“[Undertaker’s] not going to walk out of this thing the same – there’s absolutely no way,” said JBL. “He has to accept that when he walks through that door, Undertaker may not walk out.”

Beginning his career on the other side of the globe in New Zealand, WWE Legend Tony Garea has wrestled in India himself, and claimed that in this section of the world, “they take their wrestling very seriously.”

“This entrapment,” said Garea to describe the Punjabi Prison, “will be the first that I think anyone in America has seen. It certainly isn’t going to be pleasant.”

One large element of danger in this match that is known for certain is Undertaker’s 7-foot-3-inch foe, The Great Khali. Since his climactic arrival on SmackDown on April 7, when Khali first met and decimated the Phenom, the monster has been on an unrelenting trail of destruction.

More than three months in the making, Sunday’s confrontation between Undertaker and The Great Khali comes after weeks of taunting from a brazen Khali. Following a huge defeat at the hands of his nemesis at Judgment Day in May, Undertaker was not seen or heard from on SmackDown for weeks.

To lure Taker from his absence, Khali mocked the Deadman by contemptuously using Undertaker’s trademarks. This included assaulting and covering Simon Dean with Undertaker’s signature pinfall, while sticking his tongue out. The following week, Khali stuffed an incapacitated Gunner Scott into a bodybag – a ritual of Undertaker from years ago.

Undertaker finally responded to Khali’s audacity two weeks ago, accepting the giant’s challenge to a Punjabi Prison Match. And just last week on SmackDown, Undertaker struck down at the feet of Khali and Daivari with lightning.

One night later, The Great Khali returned the Phenom’s offensive at Saturday Night’s Main Event. As Khali stood in the ring with ECW World Champion Big Show, the Phenom entered the arena and approached the ring to face his enemy. Demonstrating that he is without fear, Undertaker attempted to take down both massive men but ended up on the receiving end of a double chokeslam.

And just last night, Undertaker was once again victimized by his Bash opponent. During a rare appearance on ECW, Taker faced Big Show for the ECW Championship. As the Deadman came close to defeating the champion, Khali invaded. The Phenom again fought both men, slamming each with hard punches and chair shots, but in the end, Khali and Big Show dropped Undertaker with another double chokeslam, this time driving him through the announce table.

The Great Khali has been consistently unfazed by Undertaker – psychologically and physically. And no man has ever manhandled the Phenom like the Punjab Warrior has. Still, on Sunday within the confines of the Punjabi Prison, we may see a more savage, more dominant Khali than we’ve ever seen before.

“The Great Khali has this awesome strength that has yet to be unleashed, I believe,” Tony Garea said. “I wish Undertaker all the best.”

The menace of the Punjabi Prison Match is still shrouded in a thick veil of mystery, but one thing that is clear is that Khali is set on vanquishing the Phenom. That being said, the question remains: what level of brutality will The Great Khali bring to the western world and unleash on Undertaker? We will find out on Sunday live on pay-per-view.

Related links:
Khali invades ECW
Taker accepts Khali’s challenge
Great American Bash Preview