From Mid-South Rings to Immortality: Kamala's Hall of Fame Story

WWE's WrestleMania will be taking place next weekend on April 19th & 20th. As part of wrestling's biggest weekend, another major event will be happening - inductions into the WWE Hall of Fame. This year being inductees into the Hall of Fame include Triple H, Lex Luger, the Natural Disasters. Also included will be Texas wrestling legend Dory Funk Sr. and someone with major ties to Louisiana - James "Kamala" Harris.

Kamala's Ties To Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas

Before becoming Kamala the Ugandan Giant, James Harris was a poor boy from Mississippi who worked as a sharecropper at a young age to support his family. And, sadly as things sometimes turn out, he eventually turned to a life of crime. While not exactly an inspiring story up to this point, Harris' luck turned around when he met pro-wrestler Bobo Brazil. Bobo moved James to Arkansas to train as a wrestler. From there, things looked up.

He first took a job working for what was then called the NWA Tri-State territory which covered Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. During that time, known professionally as "Sugar Bear Harris" he won multiple titles including the NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championships and was managed by fellow WWE Hall of Famer Percy Pringle - who you may otherwise know as Paul Bearer.

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Then Harris bounced around to different wrestling territories before reaching Memphis and becoming the character we now know as Kamala - 'The Ugandan Headhunter'. He had moderate success there wrestling the like of Jerry Lawler before coming back to Louisiana and starting his meteoric rise in the wrestling business.

During his return to the Tri-State territory, now known and remembered as Mid-South Wrestling, this is where Kamala went from being an interesting character to a star. During his time in Mid-South, he was a member of Skandor Akbar's Devastation Inc. stable alongside the likes of WWE Hall of Famers Abdullah the Butcher and Greg Valentine.

During his time in Mid-South, he had a memorable run of feuds with mega-stars like Andre the Giant and the Junkyard Dog. In fact, in April of 1983, Kamala and Andre was the Main Event match at the Louisiana Superdome. Kamala was actually one of the early wrestlers to slam Andre before Hogan did it at Wrestlemania.

In fact, Andre was so impressed with Kamala's abilities in the ring, it was Andre that insisted the WWF hire him in 1986 after years on the territory circuit. It was then that Kamala's career really skyrocketed - all the way to a Main Event championship match against Hulk Hogan. And, unlike a lot of competitors at the time, Hogan didn't beat Kamala clean - the match ended in a double count out. He also had another successful feud with his friend Andre the Giant.

A Giant Among Giants: Kamala's Place in WWE History Secured

Kamala was successful in the territories. He was successful in WWE & WCW. He was a star everywhere he went. From feuds with Hogan to the Undertaker to Magnum T.A.. His induction into the WWE Hall of Fame is long overdue.

Unfortunately, Harris is no longer with us. He died in 2020 due to complications caused by COVID-19. James had diabetes and several other complicated health issues that ultimately led to his death.

But, as sad as it is that James Harris doesn't get to see the reward for his hard work, his family is more than appreciative of the honor. Below is the statement they released about the induction into the Hall of Fame. And, I think you can tell from the emotion pouring off the page, this means a great deal to them and would have meant a lot to James:

You can watch the Hall of Fame induction on Peacock Friday April 18th 2025. Details can be found here.