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James “Kamala” Harris

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James “Kamala” Harris Famous memorial

Original Name
James Arthur Harris
Birth
Senatobia, Tate County, Mississippi, USA
Death
9 Aug 2020 (aged 70)
Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi, USA
Burial
Sardis, Panola County, Mississippi, USA GPS-Latitude: 34.4760949, Longitude: -89.7647218
Memorial ID
View Source
Professional Wrestler. Harris was better known by the ring name Kamala and nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant." He wrestled barefoot in war paint and a loincloth and came to the ring wearing an African mask while carrying a spear and shield. He is best known for being in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. He actually began wrestling in 1978 and his first manager was Percy Pringle. He traveled across the world and returned to the United States wrestling in many different associations before finally debuting in the WWF in July 1984. He was then managed by Freddie Blassie. After defeating a series of opponents, in August 1984 Kamala challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, wrestling him to a double count-out. In October 1984, he began a series of matches against André the Giant, among them a steel cage match which he lost after André twice sat on his chest. His final appearance was in a battle royal in November 1984. After leaving the WWF, he went on to appear with multiple promotions throughout the United States and Canada. He returned to the WWF in July 1986 with a new manager and began facing Hulk Hogan in a series of matches for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, marking the pinnacle of his career. He abruptly left the WWF once more in September 1987 over frustrations about his pay and floated around to various promotions. He again returned to the WWF in May 1992 until being released by the WWF in July 1993. After leaving the WWF once more, Harris stepped back from professional wrestling. He began working as a truck driver using two semi-trailer trucks he had purchased following his series of matches with Hulk Hogan. He only wrestled in independent shows and part-time in another promotion. He did make sporadic appearances in what had become known as the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with his last appearance in 2006. He continued to wrestle in other venues until his last match on August 15, 2010 at Juggalo Championship Wrestling. In 2015, he finished writing his autobiography along with one of his wrestling managers, Kenny Casanova, to help him offset medical costs. Kamala Speaks was funded on Kickstarter and self-published in December 2014 telling his life story including his wrestling career and the loss of both of his legs to diabetes. In July 2016, he was named as part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE. On August 5, 2020, Harris tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized. He then went into cardiac arrest on August 9, 2020, before dying later that afternoon, at the age of 70.
Professional Wrestler. Harris was better known by the ring name Kamala and nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant." He wrestled barefoot in war paint and a loincloth and came to the ring wearing an African mask while carrying a spear and shield. He is best known for being in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the mid-1980s and early 1990s. He actually began wrestling in 1978 and his first manager was Percy Pringle. He traveled across the world and returned to the United States wrestling in many different associations before finally debuting in the WWF in July 1984. He was then managed by Freddie Blassie. After defeating a series of opponents, in August 1984 Kamala challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, wrestling him to a double count-out. In October 1984, he began a series of matches against André the Giant, among them a steel cage match which he lost after André twice sat on his chest. His final appearance was in a battle royal in November 1984. After leaving the WWF, he went on to appear with multiple promotions throughout the United States and Canada. He returned to the WWF in July 1986 with a new manager and began facing Hulk Hogan in a series of matches for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, marking the pinnacle of his career. He abruptly left the WWF once more in September 1987 over frustrations about his pay and floated around to various promotions. He again returned to the WWF in May 1992 until being released by the WWF in July 1993. After leaving the WWF once more, Harris stepped back from professional wrestling. He began working as a truck driver using two semi-trailer trucks he had purchased following his series of matches with Hulk Hogan. He only wrestled in independent shows and part-time in another promotion. He did make sporadic appearances in what had become known as the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) with his last appearance in 2006. He continued to wrestle in other venues until his last match on August 15, 2010 at Juggalo Championship Wrestling. In 2015, he finished writing his autobiography along with one of his wrestling managers, Kenny Casanova, to help him offset medical costs. Kamala Speaks was funded on Kickstarter and self-published in December 2014 telling his life story including his wrestling career and the loss of both of his legs to diabetes. In July 2016, he was named as part of a class action lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE. On August 5, 2020, Harris tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized. He then went into cardiac arrest on August 9, 2020, before dying later that afternoon, at the age of 70.

Bio by: Glendora


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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Originally Created by: christus rex inferorum
  • Added: Aug 10, 2020
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/214265659/james-harris: accessed ), memorial page for James “Kamala” Harris (28 May 1950–9 Aug 2020), Find a Grave Memorial ID 214265659, citing Simon Chapel Cemetery #02, Sardis, Panola County, Mississippi, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.