A Look Back At Kamala Sep 04 - 07:42 pm EDT
Opinion by SPMAN
Gimmicks come, and gimmicks go, but few gimmicks are as fondly remembered as Kamala the Ugandan Headhunter. Usually credited as Jerry Lawler's idea, you would be at amiss when talking about Kamala, not to mention the man behind the mask, Jim Harris. Jim Harris was a Truck Driver who turned to wrestling, wrestling his first professional match in 1978 in Greenwood, Mississippi. Moving around from territory to territory, Harris had little success until coming in contact with Bill Watts and Jerry Lawler in the mid-south territory in 1982.
Jerry Lawler had an idea for a character, a tribal headhunter from Uganda who couldn't speak a lick of English, and had difficulty adapting to American culture. Along with his handler Kim Chee, originally known, as Friday (Played by Steve Lombardi in the WWF) Kamala was immeditly placed in a feud with Jerry Lawler, at that time the biggest draw in Memphis, and overnight became the biggest heel in the company. Kamala worked numerous matches with Lawler, many of which included violent stunts and the use of such props as fire. Jim Harris always says that during this period, he made the most money he had ever made in his career. After his feud with Lawler came to an end, Kamala started a program with the biggest attraction of the time, Andre the Giant. Like his matches with Lawler, Kamala made big money and drew huge crowds working with Andre. Eventually, after he felt he was beginning to overstay his welcome in the Territory, Jim Harris took Andre up on his offer to come work for Vince McMahon in the WWF.
Kamala's early WWF run is not fondly remembered at all. Outside of a short lived feud with Andre, Kamala was simply another comedy wrestler who wrestled in the opening match of a show. Kamala's high point during his inital run came during a very memorable appearance on the Tuesday Night Titans show, where Kamala "ate" a live chicken. Of course he didn't really eat the chicken, but it was memorable anyhow. Kamala left the promotion in 1985, and shifted back through the territories. Again, this time at the request of Hulk Hogan, Kamala came back to the WWF for a short run in 1987, and entered a feud with Hogan. Harris fondly remembers this feud, and says that his matches with Hogan were probably among the best of his career. Unfortunately it didn't last long, and Hogan moved on to bigger and better things, and Kamala was again out of a job.
Kamala wrestled for a short period during the 90's in the World Class territory, feuding with the Von Erics, but otherwise kept a low profile until 1992. In 1992, Harris briefly considerd suing Vince Mcmahon for unpaid merchandise. Vince, already facing numerous legal problems at the time didn't need anything else tainting his name, so he offered Harris an opportunity to wrestle in the WWF again. This time, with Kim Chee and Harvey Whippleman by his side, Kamala finally achieved recognition in the WWF, feuding with such Main Eventers as The Ultimate Warrior and The Undertaker. Kamala is even remembered for wrestling in first ever Casket Match against the Taker at Survivor Series 1992. Unfortunately, when the checks came in for a certain high drawing show called Summerslam 92, Kamala joined a list of people which included Nailz and The Ultimate Warrior among others who felt they were not paid enough for such a high drawing show. Unlike the others who simply departed from the WWF, Kamala decided to stick it out. He eventually turned face, with Reverend Slick as his manager, he began angle where Slick tried to civilize him. Of course, this angle went no where, and Kamala left the promotion quietly after jobbing to such rising stars as Yokozuna and Shawn Michaels on RAW.
Again, without a steady job, or a steady cash flow, Jim Harris turned to his friend Hulk Hogan who got him a gig in the WCW as a member of the ludicrously stupid Dungeon of Doom stable. WCW never gave Kamala a formal contract, and once the Dungeon of Doom angle faded, so did Kamala. Kamala's run in WCW was for all intents and purposes his retirement from the buisness. He turned back to his original career, Driving Trucks. He occasionally made appearances on Independent shows, but Truck Driving was his main source of income.
Kamala made one final appearance in the WWF, an entrant in the gimmick Battle Royal held at Wrestlemania X7 in Houston. Harris had never wrestled at a Wrestlemania before because his match was Bam Bam Bigelow at Wrestlemania 9 got cancelled, so he figured this would be his last chance. Kamala didn't win the match, but he did get to a appear in a humorous skit where he danced on William Regal's commissioner table and chewed on a picture of the Queen Mother. Kamala may be retired, but he will always be rememberd for his contribution to this industry, a hard worker with a memorable gimmick, who always gave it his most even when he was getting the short end of the stick.
