The “Ugandan Giant” James Harris alias Kamala, a reknown Pro wrestler that rose to fame during the pro wrestling’s 1980s popularity boom, is the latest to succumb to the novel Corona virus disease at the age of 70.
His death followed a short spell having contracted Corona virus from his occasional hospital visits. Kamala alias the “Ugandan Giant” was one of the best in the game according to most of wrestling followers and according to his accomplishments.
“Unfortunately, the rumors were correct,” Kenny Casanova, coauthor of Harris’ autobiography, Kamala Speaks, wrote on Facebook. “To make matters worse, it was Corona that took him; he was one of the good ones,” he added.
Wrestling icon Bret “The Hitman” Hart said Harris played “a terrifying monster” in the ring, with his tribal mask, face paint and body paint on his 6′7”, 380-pound frame. But the reality couldn’t have been more different.
“Unlike his heel character, he was one of the friendliest, nicest, happy-go-lucky guys I ever knew in pro wrestling,” Hart wrote on Instagram. “Always a kind and happy gentle soul. I’ll miss him for always being so good to me.”
However, unlike his character, Harris was not from Uganda. He was from Mississippi.
“I’ve never been to Uganda,” Harris told Bleacher Report in a 2014 profile:
Nicknamed “The Ugandan Giant”, Kamala portrayed a fearsome and simpleminded Ugandan who wrestled barefoot in war paint and a loincloth, and approached the ring wearing an African mask and carrying a spear and shield.
In 2012, Harris told Memphis CBS station WREG that he was working as a truck driver when wrestler Jerry “The King” Lawler suggested the character to him.
“Lawler saw me and said I got a good idea for you,” Harris said. “He put the paint and stuff on me and they put the little skirt on me. I like doing that kind of stuff.”
Harris said the sport was good, but the money wasn’t and after increasingly sporadic appearances for a different organization, he finally tapped out of wrestling for good in 2010.
On November 7, 2011, Harris had his left leg amputated below the knee due to complications of high blood pressure and diabetes, a condition he had since 1992, which forced him to retire because he did not accept dialysis treatment
On August 5, 2020, Harris tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized. He likely contracted it from one of his numerous weekly visits to the dialysis center, his wife said. Due to COVID-19, he started to experience complications from his diabetes. He then went into cardiac arrest on August 9, 2020, before dying later that afternoon, at the age of 70
About Guide2Uganda
Guide2Uganda (www.guide2uganda.ug) is the most comprehensive source of information about Uganda that exists on the web, with more content on Uganda and surrounding towns, attractions, museums and galleries than any other online guide that currently exists for Uganda as well as being a dynamic news and comprehensive events driven site with content being added daily.
According to WeFollow & Peer Index (whom both measure online influence) we are among the most influential online media organizations in Uganda. We were also awarded for ‘’Best Destination Website in Uganda’’ by Jumia Travel Uganda in the 2017-2018 Africa Travel Awards. If you are planning a visit to Uganda you can always reach us on; info@guide2uganda.ug
