In Celebration of Kamala Harris

Kamala vs. Andre the Giant WWF 10/21/84 - GREAT

ER: What a live spectacle this must have been. Two absolute behemoths chopping away at each other in a cage. They use a cage that isn't much taller than either man and I think that adds to the spectacle. This is built entirely around two mammoths just throwing chops to the head, face, and chest, with Kamala beating Andre down to the mat multiple times. Andre was great at taking these crumbling bumps to the mat, falling down to the mat in pieces, like when you see a cowboy roll a horse in a western. Kamala was awesome running scared from Andre, really playing up the animal trapped in a cage aspect until he just started lashing out at the giant. Kamala throws overhand shots to Andre's head, but my favorites are when Andre is knocked down to a knee and Kamala throws horizontal chops to Andre's forehead. Andre gets busted open, and busted open Andre is always cool because he gets sweaty, meaning you get this great blood/sweat mixture running down his chest. Kamala does not understand cage match strategy, so many of the times Kamala would knock him down would be close to the cage door, and Andre was great at tripping Kamala up or grabbing his ankle so Kamala couldn't escape. They keep the actual spots to a minimum, but the ones they use are strong. Kamala hits two of his diving splashes on Andre, but Andre really gives this something worthy of a finish. This would have been pretty underwhelming if it had just ended with both of them chopping each other until one of them walked out a door. It was going to need something more than that, and Andre knew that. He hits a big bodyslam (the first back bump of the match), then hits the standing bombs away (his butt and leg really landing on Kamala's throat). Andre moves toward the cage door and then hesitates, deciding to climb to the top rope and hit a bombs away OFF THE TOP! I wasn't expecting that one, a gigantic Andre butt splash off the top. Even more impressive is that Andre 100% works the bombs away, fully protecting Kamala, which seems far more unlikely than just flying off the top rope and asking your opponent to protect himself. I would be stunned if any kids in attendance that night don't remember this match.

Hulk Hogan vs. Kamala WWF 12/6/86 - GREAT

ER: Hogan/Kamala was a great match up as the fans bought Kamala as a threat, and Hogan played off him really well. Hogan didn't blade on house shows for just anybody, you know. This gets wild right out of the gate when Kamala leapfrogs Hogan, comes down a little early, gets sent sprawling a cool way into the ropes, then springs up and crashes into Hogan with a shoulderblock. Kamala was all about his big fast chops while standing, and throwing great falling variations while Hogan was down. Kamala gets a big ol tribal "Tooth of Sharkon" from the Wizard and busts Hogan wide open! Kamala drops falling chops on Hogan's bloody head, bites at Hogan, and the crowd is rightly into all of this. They were into it from the moment Kamala made his entrance, but him smacking an impressively bloody Hogan around fuels that fire. Kamala's big splash is a great nearfall, and I loved Kamala's confused stomping and staggering as Hogan made his comeback. I also dig how Kamala didn't go down for the big boot, falling backwards into the ropes and then getting sent into a Hogan bodyslam. Now, what put it over the top is Hogan slapping his belly before hitting the bodyslam and legdrop. This is not up to the levels of their match later in the month at MSG, but I like this pairing a lot.

Kamala vs. Umaga WWF Raw 6/26/06 - FUN

ER: This is the kind of thing I am going to love just because it happened at all. Just the symmetry of their names, Kamala and Umaga. Say those names out loud, soak in the battle of two savages from two different eras. This was short, but booked for maximum satisfaction for the time given. I had no memory of 55+ year old Kamala showing up to work a match on Raw, but he turns in a nice spirited performance. He stands up to a firm Umaga shoulder block and throws a fast overhand chop. The shots of Kamala and Umaga together looked really great, Kamala still looked physically imposing and it made me think what if they had given him the same kind of gig they were giving Jim Duggan around this time. Duggan in his early 50s was quietly putting in surprisingly solid work on Heat for a couple years. Duggan was a fixture on the show and it was fun watching him keep up with a new era. I would have loved seeing an old man Kamala match every 2-3 weeks. I dug how he sold for Umaga, great body and leg spasming, as Umaga kicked him in the chest and put him down with an impressive body slam (walking around before slamming him). Kim Chee (I assume Lombardi) got involved and ate the running hip attack, and Umaga's big middle buckle diving headbutt looked great (Kamala was over halfway across the ring). Dug this whole presentation and would have loved to see them get even more time.

Kamala vs. Bryan Danielson Liberty States Wrestling 9/30/06

ER: This is a pretty infamous indy wrestling "match list" match, the kind of thing that indy wrestling fans knew existed and saw it on tape lists, but far less had seen it than knew about it. It was right at the peak of Danielson's ROH title run. He had spent the bulk of 2006 working big main event ROH epics, a new 30-60 minute match every week against guys like KENTA, Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuinness, Colt Cabana, the workrate god of 2006 guaranteed to put on a quality match. And right in the middle of this he faces Kamala in a Connecticut gymnasium in front of maybe 100 people. Midnights vs. Rock n Rolls was also on that card, so I have no idea why more people weren't drawn to this show. Bryan Danielson was showing that he was a true world champion, and truly took ROH's title global by facing the top contender from Uganda. It's a 10 minute match, with Danielson unsure how to get in close to Kamala without eating a hard overhand chop. Kamala threatens it, Danielson backs away, and when Danielson charges back in Kamala locks up with him and sends him bouncing backward all the way across the ring. Danielson levels things with a foot stomp, throws some elbows (nicely protecting Kamala, though I'm curious how Kamala would have reacted had Danielson sunk into ROH super indy mode and accidentally cracked him), and Kamala spaces out two nice bumps which played like big moments. On the first he goes flying with a big back bump off a middle buckle Danielson dropkick, sending him rolling to the floor. Later, Danielson works elbow strikes before building to a big flying forearm that levels the giant. I was wondering if Kamala was somehow going to bump more here than Danielson, which would have been fantastic, but Danielson takes a lot of his lumps when they eventually roll the the floor. They brawl backstage, Danielson tries to headbutt him and Kamala doesn't budge (while Danielson falls immediately to his butt), Danielson crashes nicely into guardrails, they pull down the entrance curtain and we get a great shot of Danielson choking Kamala out with the curtain rod. Danielson gets DQ'd, and think about this: Nigel couldn't beat Danielson in 60. Joe couldn't beat Danielson in 60. Strong couldn't beat Danielson in 60. Kamala beat the ROG world champ in 10 minutes. Total legend. There's a reason why no future ROH champ defended the belt against Uganda's top challenger.


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