Jim Harris (wrestler)
Encyclopedia
James Harris is a retired American
professional wrestler
. For much of his career, Harris has wrestled under the ring name
Kamala, using the gimmick of a "Uganda
n Giant".
and grew up in Coldwater, Mississippi
, where his family owned a furniture store. The family collected welfare to help pay the bills. He got into trouble with the local law enforcement for breaking and entering
and was asked to leave town. In 1967, he relocated to Florida
to pick fruit, where he briefly attended college and worked as a plumber. At the age of twenty-five, Harris moved to Michigan
, where he met wrestler Bobo Brazil
. Harris then began training as a wrestler under a friend of Brazil's, Tiny Tim Hampton. He moved to Arkansas to continue training, as he wanted to get away from the snow in Michigan.
, Percy Pringle, and Terry Gordy
. He debuted in 1978, facing The Great Mephisto in his first match. Harris originally wrestled as "Sugar Bear" Harris before adopting the ring names "Ugly Bear" Harris and "Big" Jim Harris.
He wrestled in the United Kingdom
for several years to develop his wrestling skills. He developed the character of The Mississippi Mauler, which had some similarities to the Kamala gimmick that later made him famous. Harris then returned to the United States
. While acquiring a new costume in Memphis, Tennessee
, Harris was asked by Jerry Lawler
and Jerry Jarrett
to adopt a gimmick. Harris agreed, and, together with Lawler, created Kamala (originally spelled Kimala) by drawing upon a character originally developed for Harris by The Great Mephisto. Jarrett and Lawler decided that having Harris portray an African wrestler would help him succeed despite his limited technical wrestling ability, and would explain his poor interview skills. The name came from a National Geographic Magazine
that Jarrett read, which discussed a Doctor Kimala, who was conducting research in Uganda. The character was a Uganda
n cannibal
with a painted face and body who wrestled barefoot
and in a loincloth
. Kamala wrestled for Mid-South Wrestling, Memphis
, and World Class Championship Wrestling
in Dallas throughout the early 1980s. In Mid-South Wrestling, Kamala was nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant" and was managed
by General Skandor Akbar. He was originally billed as a former bodyguard of President of Uganda
Idi Amin
.
during the 1980s and 1990s. His first run came in 1984 as a heel, where he was flanked by Akbar and "Classy" Freddie Blassie
, and competed in a series of matches against André the Giant
; during their feud, Kamala lost a high-profile steel-cage match to André after André twice sat on Kamala's chest. Kamala also appeared — along with Blassie — in a segment of the WWF's Tuesday Night Titans
, where Kamala (in kayfabe
) ate a live chicken on the air; a cutaway shot was shown of feathers flying out of Kamala's mouth, creating the illusion of what he just ate for "dinner."
Kamala returned to the WWF in 1986, this time managed by his "handler", Kim Chee (who was usually portrayed by Steve Lombardi
), and by King Curtis Iaukea
(as The Wizard). In this run Kamala battled Hulk Hogan
and Jake "the Snake" Roberts
; the latter feud began after Roberts exposed Kamala's fear of snakes. Kamala also teamed with Wild Samoan
Sika
before leaving the WWF in late 1987.
He then wrestled in the Memphis-based United States Wrestling Association
, where he feuded with Jerry Lawler and Koko B. Ware and held the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship
on four occasions. Kamala returned to the WWF in 1992 along with Kim Chee, this time managed by Harvey Wippleman. After a loss to The Undertaker in the first televised Coffin match at Survivor Series
in 1992, Kamala left Wippleman and turned face under the tutelage of the newly-ordained Reverend Slick. Slick set out to humanize Kamala, on one occasion by teaching him to bowl
on a Coliseum Video.
but was replaced by Virgil
. On January 29, 1994, he appeared at a card in a school in Hamilton, Ohio in a challenge to see if any of a group of local personalities could slam him. A woman who used the name of "Coyote Kim" did succeed in pushing Kamala over after she distracted him with a photo.
(WCW), Kamala had a short stint with the promotion. He was part of Kevin Sullivan
's Dungeon of Doom
stable, whose goal was to end Hogan's career. In his first WCW pay-per-view appearance, he defeated "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
at Bash at the Beach 1995. He had a singles match against Hogan at Clash of the Champions XXXI but was defeated. He then competed as part of the Dungeon of Doom at Fall Brawl 1995 to face Hogan's team of Hulkamaniacs. The Hulkamaniacs won the match, and Kamala did not appear on a WCW pay-per-view again. He left the promotion in October 1995, as he was on a pay-per-appearance deal and WCW was not interested in offering him a contract.
and was eliminated by Sgt. Slaughter
. On July 26, 2004, Harris made a surprise return to World Wrestling Entertainment, participating in a Raw Diva Search
segment in which the female contestants were instructed to try to seduce him. Kamala made an appearance on the August 11, 2005 edition of SmackDown!. Former manager Kim Chee came to the ring with him, but his match with Randy Orton
ended in a no decision when a message from The Undertaker interrupted the match. Kamala also appeared at the 2005 Taboo Tuesday
event, where he was one of the choices for Eugene
's tag team partner. He lost out to Jimmy Snuka
but came down at the end of the match and delivered a big splash to Tyson Tomko
. On June 25, 2006 at Vengeance
, he accompanied Eugene to the ring along with Doink the Clown
and Hacksaw Jim Duggan
to take on Umaga
. Umaga quickly won the match, after which he attacked Eugene, Doink, and Duggan. Before Kamala and Umaga could fight, Umaga's manager, Armando Estrada, intervened. Kamala faced Umaga on Raw
the following night and lost the match.
, he defeated jobber, Tom-Dub in a "Loser Leaves JCW" match. At the 2008 Gathering of the Juggalos Kamala was scheduled to make a one night return to JCW's first Bloodymania show, to take on C.J O'Doyle, but no-showed the event, leaving his opponent as a referee in 1 match the entire night
Harris continued to wrestle independent shows on the West coast: in September 2006, he went to a non-finish with Bryan Danielson
in a match for the Ring of Honor
title. He has also recently embarked on a new career as a singer, releasing his debut album, The Best of Kamala Vol 1 through his official website. The main track of his album is a ballad to the memory of Stanley "Tookie" Williams
.
Kamala was also at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
's Slammiversary
pay-per-view in June 2008, as a guest at Jay Lethal
and SoCal Val's storyline wedding.
On November 7, 2011 Harris had his foot amputated due to complications of high blood pressure and diabetes, forcing him to retire.
Since 1993, he has been writing, performing, and producing his own music. He has written over 100 songs. Some of his songs discuss his frustration with the working conditions he dealt with in the wrestling industry, most notably the low wages. In an interview, Harris spoke about seeing the payment amounts for the wrestlers who competed at SummerSlam 1992
. He said that he received $13,000 while hearing that his opponent, The Undertaker, had received $500,000.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. For much of his career, Harris has wrestled under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Kamala, using the gimmick of a "Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n Giant".
Early life
Harris was born in Senatobia, MississippiSenatobia, Mississippi
Senatobia is a city in and the county seat of Tate County, Mississippi, United States, and is the 15th largest municipality in the Memphis Metropolitan Area. The population was 8,165 at the 2010 census....
and grew up in Coldwater, Mississippi
Coldwater, Mississippi
Coldwater is a small town in Tate County, Mississippi, United States. It is in the Memphis Metropolitan Area or Mid-South. The population was 1,674 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Coldwater is located at...
, where his family owned a furniture store. The family collected welfare to help pay the bills. He got into trouble with the local law enforcement for breaking and entering
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
and was asked to leave town. In 1967, he relocated to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to pick fruit, where he briefly attended college and worked as a plumber. At the age of twenty-five, Harris moved to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, where he met wrestler Bobo Brazil
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Bobo Brazil. He is credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling...
. Harris then began training as a wrestler under a friend of Brazil's, Tiny Tim Hampton. He moved to Arkansas to continue training, as he wanted to get away from the snow in Michigan.
Early career
Harris trained alongside Michael HayesMichael Hayes (wrestler)
Michael Seitz is a retired American professional wrestler and former musician. Seitz is best known for leading The Fabulous Freebirds under the ring name Michael "P.S." Hayes and for his role as the announcer Dok Hendrix in the World Wrestling Federation...
, Percy Pringle, and Terry Gordy
Terry Gordy
Terry Ray 'Bam Bam' Gordy, Sr. was a professional wrestler who was best known in North America for being a member of the Fabulous Freebirds.-Career:...
. He debuted in 1978, facing The Great Mephisto in his first match. Harris originally wrestled as "Sugar Bear" Harris before adopting the ring names "Ugly Bear" Harris and "Big" Jim Harris.
He wrestled in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for several years to develop his wrestling skills. He developed the character of The Mississippi Mauler, which had some similarities to the Kamala gimmick that later made him famous. Harris then returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. While acquiring a new costume in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Harris was asked by Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
and Jerry Jarrett
Jerry Jarrett
Jerry W. Jarrett is an American promoter and former professional wrestler, and the father of wrestler Jeff Jarrett. He is the co-founder and former part-owner of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
to adopt a gimmick. Harris agreed, and, together with Lawler, created Kamala (originally spelled Kimala) by drawing upon a character originally developed for Harris by The Great Mephisto. Jarrett and Lawler decided that having Harris portray an African wrestler would help him succeed despite his limited technical wrestling ability, and would explain his poor interview skills. The name came from a National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic Magazine
National Geographic, formerly the National Geographic Magazine, is the official journal of the National Geographic Society. It published its first issue in 1888, just nine months after the Society itself was founded...
that Jarrett read, which discussed a Doctor Kimala, who was conducting research in Uganda. The character was a Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n cannibal
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
with a painted face and body who wrestled barefoot
Barefoot
Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. Being barefoot is regarded as a human's natural state, though for functional, fashion and social reasons footwear is worn, at least on some occasions...
and in a loincloth
Loincloth
A loincloth is a one-piece male garment, sometimes kept in place by a belt, which covers the genitals and, at least partially, the buttocks.-History and types:Loincloths are being and have been worn:*in societies where no other clothing is needed or wanted...
. Kamala wrestled for Mid-South Wrestling, Memphis
Continental Wrestling Association
The Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
, and World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
in Dallas throughout the early 1980s. In Mid-South Wrestling, Kamala was nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant" and was managed
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
by General Skandor Akbar. He was originally billed as a former bodyguard of President of Uganda
President of Uganda
-List of Presidents of Uganda:-Affiliations:-See also:*Uganda*Vice President of Uganda*Prime Minister of Uganda*Politics of Uganda*History of Uganda*Political parties of Uganda...
Idi Amin
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada was a military leader and President of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles in 1946. Eventually he held the rank of Major General in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its Commander before seizing power in the military...
.
World Wrestling Federation
Kamala's had several runs in the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
during the 1980s and 1990s. His first run came in 1984 as a heel, where he was flanked by Akbar and "Classy" Freddie Blassie
Fred Blassie
Frederick Kenneth Blassman , better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Renowned as "The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling" , Blassie was a master at antagonizing the crowd, and inspired legendary animosity...
, and competed in a series of matches against André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
; during their feud, Kamala lost a high-profile steel-cage match to André after André twice sat on Kamala's chest. Kamala also appeared — along with Blassie — in a segment of the WWF's Tuesday Night Titans
Tuesday Night Titans
Tuesday Night Titans is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
, where Kamala (in kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
) ate a live chicken on the air; a cutaway shot was shown of feathers flying out of Kamala's mouth, creating the illusion of what he just ate for "dinner."
Kamala returned to the WWF in 1986, this time managed by his "handler", Kim Chee (who was usually portrayed by Steve Lombardi
Steve Lombardi
Steve Lombardi is an Italian American professional wrestler, and road agent. He is also known by his ring name Brooklyn Brawler...
), and by King Curtis Iaukea
King Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piehau Iaukea, III was a professional wrestler better known as King Curtis Iaukea. Iaukea won championships in several of the major regional US promotions, both as a single and in various tag team combinations, during the 1960s. He then competed in the World Wrestling Federation where he...
(as The Wizard). In this run Kamala battled Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
and Jake "the Snake" Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
; the latter feud began after Roberts exposed Kamala's fear of snakes. Kamala also teamed with Wild Samoan
Wild Samoans
The Wild Samoans was the professional wrestling tag team of Afa and Sika in Mid-South Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation . The Samoans held 21 tag team championships around the world.-Gimmick:...
Sika
Sika Anoa'i
Leati "Sika" Anoa'i is a former professional wrestler and a member of the Anoa'i family.-Career:Sika teamed with his brother Afa to form the tag team the Wild Samoans. They teamed in various promotions including WWF and Mid-South. In 1979, they signed with the World Wrestling Federation...
before leaving the WWF in late 1987.
He then wrestled in the Memphis-based United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
, where he feuded with Jerry Lawler and Koko B. Ware and held the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship
USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship
The USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling...
on four occasions. Kamala returned to the WWF in 1992 along with Kim Chee, this time managed by Harvey Wippleman. After a loss to The Undertaker in the first televised Coffin match at Survivor Series
Survivor Series (1992)
Survivor Series was the sixth annual Survivor Series pay-per-view professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on November 25, 1992 at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio...
in 1992, Kamala left Wippleman and turned face under the tutelage of the newly-ordained Reverend Slick. Slick set out to humanize Kamala, on one occasion by teaching him to bowl
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
on a Coliseum Video.
Post-WWF
After once again leaving the WWF in mid-1993, Kamala returned to his previous job of driving a truck for two years. He was advertised to return in the 1994 Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble (1994)
Royal Rumble was the seventh annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on January 22, 1994 at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The main event was the Royal Rumble match, a battle royal in which...
but was replaced by Virgil
Mike Jones (wrestler)
Mike Jones is an American professional wrestler, who most recently performed for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Virgil, where he appeared on its Raw brand as Ted DiBiase, Jr.'s personal assistant...
. On January 29, 1994, he appeared at a card in a school in Hamilton, Ohio in a challenge to see if any of a group of local personalities could slam him. A woman who used the name of "Coyote Kim" did succeed in pushing Kamala over after she distracted him with a photo.
World Championship Wrestling
After Hulk Hogan called and asked if he was interested in working for World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
(WCW), Kamala had a short stint with the promotion. He was part of Kevin Sullivan
Kevin Sullivan (wrestler)
Kevin Francis Sullivan is an American professional wrestler and booker, perhaps best known for his role in WCW as "The Taskmaster" and his leading of the "Dungeon of Doom".-Early career:...
's Dungeon of Doom
Dungeon of Doom
The Dungeon of Doom was the name of a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling that existed from 1995 to 1997.-Origin:...
stable, whose goal was to end Hogan's career. In his first WCW pay-per-view appearance, he defeated "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan , better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s, when it was known as World Wrestling Federation , and World Championship Wrestling...
at Bash at the Beach 1995. He had a singles match against Hogan at Clash of the Champions XXXI but was defeated. He then competed as part of the Dungeon of Doom at Fall Brawl 1995 to face Hogan's team of Hulkamaniacs. The Hulkamaniacs won the match, and Kamala did not appear on a WCW pay-per-view again. He left the promotion in October 1995, as he was on a pay-per-appearance deal and WCW was not interested in offering him a contract.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Kamala made a brief appearance for ECW during early 1998. He was used on 5 ECW house shows before he disappeared back to the indies in Memphis. His short-lived run in ECW is often mistaken for Uganda, a Kamala-like gimmick who appeared in ECW in the early 1990s.World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
Harris participated in the "Gimmick Battle Royal" at WrestleMania X-SevenWrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...
and was eliminated by Sgt. Slaughter
Sgt. Slaughter
Robert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
. On July 26, 2004, Harris made a surprise return to World Wrestling Entertainment, participating in a Raw Diva Search
WWE Diva Search
The WWE Diva Search is a talent competition held by World Wrestling Entertainment. The first winner was Jaime Koeppe, but she did not receive a contract like subsequent winners of the contest. Other winners included Christy Hemme, Ashley Massaro, Layla El, and Eve Torres. In addition to the winners...
segment in which the female contestants were instructed to try to seduce him. Kamala made an appearance on the August 11, 2005 edition of SmackDown!. Former manager Kim Chee came to the ring with him, but his match with Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
ended in a no decision when a message from The Undertaker interrupted the match. Kamala also appeared at the 2005 Taboo Tuesday
Taboo Tuesday (2005)
Taboo Tuesday was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on November 1, 2005 at the iPayOne Center in San Diego, California. It was the second annual Taboo Tuesday event in which the fans were given the chance to vote on...
event, where he was one of the choices for Eugene
Nick Dinsmore
Nicholas "Nick" Dinsmore , better known by his ring names Eugene and U-Gene, is an American professional wrestler...
's tag team partner. He lost out to Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
but came down at the end of the match and delivered a big splash to Tyson Tomko
Travis Tomko
Travis David Tomko is an American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Tomko, who most recently worked for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he previously was a member of Christian's Coalition and the Angle Alliance and often worked alongside A.J. Styles. He was also notable for his...
. On June 25, 2006 at Vengeance
Vengeance (2006)
Vengeance was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on June 25, 2006 at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the sixth annual Vengeance event. Eight professional wrestling matches were featured on the...
, he accompanied Eugene to the ring along with Doink the Clown
Doink the Clown
Doink the Clown is a professional wrestling gimmick, originally used by Matt Osborne in the World Wrestling Federation from 1993 to 1995. Since Osborne's departure from the WWF, the character has been played by several wrestlers, primarily on the independent circuit, as well as in sporadic special...
and Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan , better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s, when it was known as World Wrestling Federation , and World Championship Wrestling...
to take on Umaga
Eddie Fatu
Edward Smith "Eki" Fatu was a Samoan-American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Umaga...
. Umaga quickly won the match, after which he attacked Eugene, Doink, and Duggan. Before Kamala and Umaga could fight, Umaga's manager, Armando Estrada, intervened. Kamala faced Umaga on Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
the following night and lost the match.
Independent circuit and retirement
In 2003, Kamala also worked at Juggalo Championship Wrestling where, accompanied by The Masked NegotiatorRobert Bruce (rapper)
Robert Bruce is a former American rapper, Psychopathic Records don, and professional wrestler, and currently works as a paramedic in Detroit, Michigan.Bruce is most commonly known by his stage name Jumpsteady...
, he defeated jobber, Tom-Dub in a "Loser Leaves JCW" match. At the 2008 Gathering of the Juggalos Kamala was scheduled to make a one night return to JCW's first Bloodymania show, to take on C.J O'Doyle, but no-showed the event, leaving his opponent as a referee in 1 match the entire night
Harris continued to wrestle independent shows on the West coast: in September 2006, he went to a non-finish with Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
in a match for the Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
title. He has also recently embarked on a new career as a singer, releasing his debut album, The Best of Kamala Vol 1 through his official website. The main track of his album is a ballad to the memory of Stanley "Tookie" Williams
Stanley Williams
Stanley Tookie Williams III was the co-founder of the Crips, a notorious American street gang which had its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1969. In 1979 he was convicted of four murders committed in the course of robberies, sentenced to death, and eventually executed...
.
Kamala was also at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
's Slammiversary
Slammiversary (2008)
Slammiversary was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling , which took place on June 8, 2008 from the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi. It was the fourth event under the Slammiversary chronology and marked the sixth anniversary of the...
pay-per-view in June 2008, as a guest at Jay Lethal
Jay Lethal
Jamar "Jay" Shipman better known by his ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Ring of Honor , where he is the ROH World Television Champion...
and SoCal Val's storyline wedding.
On November 7, 2011 Harris had his foot amputated due to complications of high blood pressure and diabetes, forcing him to retire.
Personal life
Harris was married to Sheila Stover from 1974 to 2005. After the couple divorced, Harris married Melissa Guzman. Harris also lives with his niece Ashley in Senatobia, Mississippi.Since 1993, he has been writing, performing, and producing his own music. He has written over 100 songs. Some of his songs discuss his frustration with the working conditions he dealt with in the wrestling industry, most notably the low wages. In an interview, Harris spoke about seeing the payment amounts for the wrestlers who competed at SummerSlam 1992
SummerSlam (1992)
SummerSlam was the fifth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 29, 1992 at Wembley Stadium, London, England but was aired in the United States on August 31...
. He said that he received $13,000 while hearing that his opponent, The Undertaker, had received $500,000.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Air Africa (Running or diving splash)
- Signature moves
- Backhand chop
- Headbutt
- Overhead chop
- Savate kick
- Two-handed chokelift
- Two-handed forward throat thrust
- ManagerManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
s
- NicknameNicknameA nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
s- "Bad News"
- "Big"
- "Giant"
- "Sugar Bear"
- "The Ugandan Giant"
- "The Ugandan Headhunter"
- "Ugly Bear"
Championships and accomplishments
- Continental Wrestling AssociationContinental Wrestling AssociationThe Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
- AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Great Lakes Wrestling Association
- GLWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- International Wrestling Association
- IWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Buddy WolfeBuddy WolfeLes Wolff is a retired American football player and professional wrestler, known by his ring name "Beautiful" Buddy Wolfe, who competed in North American regional promotions including the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wide Wrestling Federation during the...
- NWA Tri-State
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time) - with Oki Shikina
- Southeastern Championship WrestlingContinental Championship WrestlingContinental Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion based out of Knoxville, Tennessee from 1974 until 1988 and Dothan, Alabama from 1978 to 1990, managed by Ron Fuller. When Fuller sold the promotion to David Woods, it changed name to the Continental Wrestling Federation...
- NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 144 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- Southeastern Xtreme Wrestling
- SXW Hardcore Championship (1 time)
- Texas All-Star WrestlingSouthwest Championship WrestlingSouthwest Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was owned by Joseph Blanchard and based in San Antonio, Texas, from 1978 to 1985, when it was purchased by Texas All-Star Wrestling and absorbed into that company.-Venues:...
- TAS Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time)
- United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
- USWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipUSWA Unified World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from the American Wrestling...
(4 times)