Kamala
Height: 6'7"
From: Ugandan
Finishing Move: Flying Splash
Hailing from the wilds of Uganda, Kamala was one of
the most savage and terrifying Superstars sports-entertainment has ever
seen. No one – not even his long-time handler, Kim Chee – ever seemed to
know what the Ugandan Giant’s next move would be, leading to a lot of
bad nights for his foes.
Behind that savage exterior, however, was the heart of a warrior. Not
much was known about Kamala’s life before venturing into
sports-entertainment, other than that he was a savage from the wild who
apparently worked as a bodyguard for former Ugandan leader Idi Amin. He
was never seen without Kim Chee, as he spoke no English – conversing
only in loud yelps and grunts – and looked like a true jungle beast.
Barefoot and clad only in a loin cloth, face paint, and moons and stars
painted on his chest, Kamala came to the ring wearing a ritual African
tribal mask and carrying a spear, often slapping his ample belly as
well. A disturbing enough sight for opponents, made all the worse when
you add in the fact that Kamala was 6-foot-7, 350-pounds-plus of savage
beast.
In 1982, Kamala first came into sports-entertainment when he was brought
into Mid-South and World Class Championship Wrestling by the devious
General Skandor Akbar. While there, he terrorized numerous opponents
before leaving for WWE in 1984.
Under the tutelage of Kim Chee – and later Mr. Fuji – Kamala instantly
became one of the most feared and hated Superstars WWE had ever seen.
While he was unsuccessful in his quest to win the WWE Championship, the
Ugandan Giant took Hulk Hogan to the limit on several occasions. Later,
after falling under Fuji’s employ, he formed a deadly duo with a former
World Tag Team Champion, Sika the Wild Samoan. The savage pair
complemented each other well, but they were unable to conquer any gold
before Kamala left WWE in 1988.
He would return a few years later, this time led by Kim Chee and Harvey
Wippleman; the devious Wippleman recruited Kamala for his war with
Undertaker, but unfortunately, the Ugandan Giant was unable to eliminate
The Phenom. After losing the first-ever Coffin Match to The Deadman at
Survivor Series 1992, Kamala became the subject of much abuse and
ridicule from his handlers.
Enter Reverend Slick.
The good “Doctor of Style” tried to stop Wippleman & Kim Chee’s abuse,
reminding Kamala that he was, in fact, not a jungle savage, but a man.
Eventually, his positive message got through, inspiring Kamala to turn
against his captors to join the Reverend’s camp. Our fans instantly
flocked to the big guy, as Slick tried to teach him how to be civilized,
but both men left WWE shortly thereafter. Kamala resurfaced in WCW in
1995, this time as part of Kevin Sullivan’s Dungeon of Doom, brought in
to destroy Hulk Hogan; however, the Ugandan Giant disappeared almost as
quickly as he had returned.
In more recent years, Kamala has made sporadic WWE appearances. He
participated in the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven in
2001, and he has had a few more in-ring appearances since. Perhaps, most
notably, was his appearance during the inaugural WWE Diva Search in
2004, where the beautiful contestants were given 20 seconds to soothe
the savage beast.
Although he never captured any gold, Kamala perhaps struck more fear
into the hearts and minds of opponents and fans alike than any other
Superstar. He was ranked No. 3 on WWE.com’s list of the Wildest
Superstars – and rightfully so – and he’s certainly one of
sports-entertainment’s most recognizable and influential.
