Rest In Peace, James “Kamala” Harris, 1950-2020. One of the characters that made WWF in my childhood so memorable, Kamala started his career in the late 70’s under the name of “Sugar Bear” Harris. After being given the Kamala gimmick for a run against Jerry Lawler, he worked with everyone from Junkyard Dog to the Great Kabuki to André the Giant. As a matter of fact, it might not be well known but Kamala bodyslammed André in the Superdome well before Hulk Hogan would do it at Wrestlemania 3. Legend has it that one night André got a little rough with Kamala in the ring. Kamala confronted the giant the next day with a .357 magnum backstage at a show. André apologized and Kamala had his respect from that day on. André helped Kamala get into the WWF where they faced off a number of times. He traveled a little more, including a stint in Japan, before returning for a main event run against Hulk Hogan. Kamala wrestled Undertaker in Wembley Stadium at Summerslam 1992. In one of the great inequities in wrestling, Kamala claimed he was only paid $13,000 for the match while Undertaker made $500,000 (these numbers are under some dispute). Kamala worked out his contract before leaving due to frustration with his pay. While taking time off from wrestling he worked as truck driver to make money. Kamala joined the Dungeon of Doom stable in WCW, with the backstage help of Hulk Hogan. Over the years after that appearance, he continued to make appearances such as in the WWE Gimmick Battle Royal and across the indies.
Kamala’s mounting health issues including high blood pressure and diabetes eventually led to both of his legs being amputated below the knee. He also joined the CTE class-action lawsuit against WWE and wrote an autobiography in his later years. Kamala succumbed to heart disease and complications from COVID-19 on August 9, 2020. It’s a great injustice of the wrestling business in our time that a man like Kamala, who brought joy to many fans and main evented with all the big names of his era was never properly paid or recognized for his work. Now that he’s passed I’m sure he will gain a spot in the WWE Hall if Fame eventually. If only he could have gotten that accolade while he was alive.
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