RIP James Harris (Kamala/Uganda)

[supersonic]

https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/wres ... way-age-70

A sad day for wrestling fans as James Harris, better known as “The Ugandan Giant” Kamala has passed away at the age of 70.

The Kamala Character was born in the Memphis territory. Over the years, Jerry Lawler has told the story of shooting vignettes for the debut and character in the backyard of Jerry Jarrett and has admitted in the past that he was the one who initially painted the stars and moon on the body of Kamala.

Kamala would also have many stents in the WWE, in the late 80s he was a regular arrival of Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan. In the 90s, he would feed with the Undertaker and participate in the first-ever “Coffin Match” at the 1992 WWE Survivor Series.

Unfortunately, Kamala would face health issues in later years losing both of his legs in a battle with diabetes.

Kamala will forever be one of wrestling is great giants and the only thing that matched his stature was his legacy.

ROH-centric note: While Kamala never appeared in ROH, he challenged Bryan Danielson for the company's world title on September 30, 2006. The match video linked below is courtesy An Honorable Mention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpcZoKhTwCk

[Reaper G]

Actually, he did make an appearance in ROH. While the exact details escape me, he was about to have a "match" with Bobby Dempsey, who revealed his own Kamala body paint under his warm-up suit.

Anyway, he took a goofy gimmick and got a long, good career out of it. RIP sir.

[Hernan]

Actually, he did make an appearance in ROH. While the exact details escape me, he was about to have a "match" with Bobby Dempsey, who revealed his own Kamala body paint under his warm-up suit.

Anyway, he took a goofy gimmick and got a long, good career out of it. RIP sir.

Supercard of Honor 2009 I believe.

[IanRiccaboni]

Actually, he did make an appearance in ROH. While the exact details escape me, he was about to have a "match" with Bobby Dempsey, who revealed his own Kamala body paint under his warm-up suit.

Anyway, he took a goofy gimmick and got a long, good career out of it. RIP sir.

This match was added two or three weeks ago to HonorClub.

Has to be the only person to wrestle both Andre the Giant and Bryan Danielson. To top it off he also wrestled all the Von Erichs, Lawler, Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, and everyone in between. Likely speaks to how well liked he was that he had so many different runs at or toward the top.

Extremely talented. He will be missed.

[BurningHammer]

Kamala was the first wrestler that I truly got excited about, being in the UK and seeing him in a magazine or for the first time on TV was such an experience. He felt so different and honestly exciting, especially when he feuded with Hogan that felt huge to me and honestly it truly felt Hogan feared him at the time. (How great was wrestling as a kid)

Getting older to hear more about him as a person and how so many respected him as well as how far around America/the world he traveled wrestled, really had such a presence and power in wrestling. Maybe more that he actually realised.

I feel he has really left a mark on the history of wrestling and will be remembered alongside the likes of LA Parka etc as one of the great gimmick wrestlers, I know I will.

[supersonic]

Actually, he did make an appearance in ROH. While the exact details escape me, he was about to have a "match" with Bobby Dempsey, who revealed his own Kamala body paint under his warm-up suit.

Anyway, he took a goofy gimmick and got a long, good career out of it. RIP sir.

I was there and have zero memory of it.

Supercard of Honor 2009 I believe.