Mr Lawrence Posted August 10, 2020 Share Posted August 10, 2020 (edited) One of my all time faves. Genuinely. When ITV started showing US wrestling in the late 80’s the odd time on a Saturday afternoon, Kamala v Salvatore Bellomo was the squash match before Hogan v Savage lumberjack match from Feb 1986. (Even though from different arenas). ive watched those matches 100’s of times. This may seem silly, but im watching old Memphis Kamala stuff having a few tins and told the missus Kamala is dead......she said, who Chris? Thought i meant Kamara! Edited August 10, 2020 by Mr Lawrence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Pepper Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 He wants me to rub the moons on his belly? get out of here, you heathens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaitoRyo Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 I love this. I remember seeing pictures of it in magazines at the time and thinking 'eh?'. Kamala versus Daniel Bryan in 2006 for the ROH World Title. It's the main event at an indie show and the big man has his working boots on. Well, he doesn't have any boots on, but he puts the effort in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted August 12, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 12, 2020 Kamala was one of the characters that was pretty crucial to my intro to pro wrestling which as I may have mentioned before, centred around a mate having loads of the black/yellow cards they released either side of SummerSlam 92. After getting sucked in by the Mania VI tape, my next three rentals were 3 consecutive Survivor Series which enabled me to see the Coffin Match. I won’t lie, I felt sorry for the tubby lad. Clearly shitting himself and only there because Kimchee and Harvey had engineered it, not because he wanted to, the guy did as much as he could before the Undertaker clocked him with the bastard urn to beat him. “This isn’t fair” said The Brain on comms, and I thoroughly agreed. I can’t think of a time I’ve felt more sympathy for the heel, if you don’t count cheering on Earthquake flattening that cheating bastard Hacksaw Duggan at the aforementioned Mania VI. For my next birthday I bought 6 wrestling tapes from John Menzies, including WrestleFest 93 featuring a rather dated Kamala v Bret for the I title, and wonderfully, Invasion Of The Bodyslammers featuring the previously posted vignettes of Slick teaching Kamala to bowl. Sadly there’s also a match where he loses by count-out vs Doink where he’s distracted outside the ring by trying to open a present given to him by Doink, which turns out to be an empty box. The Ugandan Giant looks genuinely on the verge of tears before he gets the clown back in the ring and squashes him. Not long later I’m back round my mates house watching UK Rampage, and that bastard clown is beating Kamala again. I was really not happy. So early in my fandom it was wide-eyed naive figure of sympathy Kamala that I knew best, and even after I discovered his beginnings as an actual monster heel, I never stopped feeling sorry for that fat lad that was scared of the Undertaker, got cheated by Doink, and came worryingly close to taking the I title from Shawn on one tape. I bypassed his stint in the Dungeon of Doom and greatly enjoyed him popping up at Mania 17. Always sounded like a nice bloke by all accounts and was always sad to hear him blighted by ill health. He was never what I’d call one of my favourites but he was part of the brightly coloured patchwork quilt of big characters that got me into rasslin in the first place, so I was really saddened to hear he was gone. I think of him every time I pat my own belly now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoryFice Posted August 12, 2020 Share Posted August 12, 2020 15 hours ago, SaitoRyo said: I love this. I remember seeing pictures of it in magazines at the time and thinking 'eh?'. Kamala versus Daniel Bryan in 2006 for the ROH World Title. It's the main event at an indie show and the big man has his working boots on. Well, he doesn't have any boots on, but he puts the effort in. I woukd never have envisioned those two in the same ring, but as unique as that match is, IMO most of it epitomises the worst of indie wrestling. Anyhow, air_raid has delightfully summarised Invasion of the Bodyslammers, but one of my most memorable Kamala moments to this day was from the same time, and is indeed one of my earliest wrestling memories ever, is Jerry Lawler claiming on commentary that Kamala ate Slick. Looking at him aged six years old I probably believed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted August 13, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 13, 2020 the WWE Network has a "Remembering Kamala" playlist now, that just seems to be a completely random selection of his matches and promo. Last night I watched him vs. Sgt. Slaughter in a "Ugandan Death Match" from Pro Wrestling USA, in which Sarge is managed by Baron Von Raschke, and Kamala by Skandor Akbar and Billy Robinson! It was a bit naff, but fun. Then I watched Bret vs. Kamala for the title - it was from a Coliseum Video special, but given that Cagematch reckons they only fought for the WWF Title once, it must be the same match that @air_raid is talking about. It's a really standard Bret "five moves of doom" match, with added manager shenanigans from Harvey Wippleman and Kim Chee (Kim Chee, incidentally, having one of my favourite looks in wrestling history), but Kamala just puts such a shift in, as he always seemed to, to get an outlandish, offensive gimmick over to the point that even watching in 2020 you pretty quickly stop thinking of it in terms of, as Brendon Burns put it - "wrestling's so racist that they made a black guy a witchdoctor, and wrestling's so racist that you're not sure which black guy I'm talking about". Also, I don't care what people say about them being a poor announce team - Sean Mooney and Lord Alfred Hayes in that match are a hundred times better than anything today. I didn't bother watching the Kamala vs. Jim Duggan match on there, from his Dungeon of Doom days, but caught the entrances, and again it's just Kamala committing to the bit so well. He stops in the ramp and starts turning around, as if he's not sure where he's meant to be going, or doesn't want to get in the ring, and Kevin Sullivan has to take him by the hand and guide him to the ring. It's just a little touch that really gets over the idea of him being this wild beast that someone just found and put in a wrestling ring without ever teaching him how it all worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chris B Posted August 13, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 13, 2020 1 hour ago, BomberPat said: Kamala just puts such a shift in, as he always seemed to, to get an outlandish, offensive gimmick over to the point that even watching in 2020 you pretty quickly stop thinking of it in terms of, as Brendon Burns put it - "wrestling's so racist that they made a black guy a witchdoctor, and wrestling's so racist that you're not sure which black guy I'm talking about". I was thinking about this recently. Kamala's not somebody you'd want other people to walk in on while you're watching, because it really is staggeringly racist. However, any time I watch a clip, within 30 seconds, I'm just going 'awww, I love Kamala'. The point above about his sympathy is absolutely spot on - he conveyed so much emotion. It really was a brilliant performance, and because of, again, how staggeringly racist the gimmick was, that can get overlooked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobra_gordo Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 I've had his entrance music stuck in my head all week. It's often overlooked when discussing best themes but it's fantastically atmospheric and really added to the aura of this absolute monster walking down the aisle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted August 13, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 13, 2020 1 hour ago, BomberPat said: Then I watched Bret vs. Kamala for the title - it was from a Coliseum Video special, but given that Cagematch reckons they only fought for the WWF Title once, it must be the same match that @air_raid is talking about. Close. The match I mention from WrestleFest 93 was for the Intercontinental title (DQ finish). The match you refer to for the WWF title was included on Smack Em Whack Em as well as the match Bret wins the title from Flair, and the ladder match with Shawn. It was probably my first favourite tape tied with UK Fan Favourites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1978kid Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 His appearances on World of Sport were also great - as Big Jim Harris the Mississippi Mauler. He featured on the Wembley Arena Spectacular in 1981 wrestling Wayne Bridges for the vacant World Heavyweight Title - the genuine UK version not the crappy WWF/WWE version you folk on this place get excited about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_3165 Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Shit worker, fantastic gimmick. I suspect that gimmick isn't likely in 2020 though!! Bless him I know his health was shit. Rip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted August 14, 2020 Paid Members Share Posted August 14, 2020 8 minutes ago, Michael_3165 said: Shit worker You're different level stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_3165 Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, tiger_rick said: You're different level stupid Oh shit I forgot my place!!! Differing opinions... What was I thinking?!?!! 🤔🙄😒😉😱 Explain which classics he has been in... Meltzer ratings preferred. I said his gimmick was great but nobody in their right mindd would ever suggest he was some super worker. The gimmick carried him all the way.. That's not a knock. I'd politely advise you to go fuck yourself. Take care and all the best If you have a problem please do msg me. (you won't) 😝🙏 Edited August 15, 2020 by Michael_3165 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_3165 Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 On 8/13/2020 at 11:28 AM, Chris B said: I was thinking about this recently. Kamala's not somebody you'd want other people to walk in on while you're watching, because it really is staggeringly racist. However, any time I watch a clip, within 30 seconds, I'm just going 'awww, I love Kamala'. The point above about his sympathy is absolutely spot on - he conveyed so much emotion. It really was a brilliant performance, and because of, again, how staggeringly racist the gimmick was, that can get overlooked. It was that face. Perhaps the greatest expressions in history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Blog Posted August 15, 2020 Share Posted August 15, 2020 2 hours ago, Michael_3165 said: Meltzer ratings preferred. Do you really base your opinion of a good match on what Dave Meltzer. You must hate a lot of wrestling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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