Interview Recap - Kamala

Posted in Interview Recaps by Jack at 09:46, Oct 29 2006

By Rios Granillo

www.inyourheadonline.com

This past week on In Your Head with Jack, Incher and Barbie Richards. Kamala the Ugandan Giant was the special guest and he would there to talk about his pasts with WWF and other promotions, his current life on the road and his surprising new career in singing. For more information on Kamala please go to http://www.thegiantkamala.com. Be sure to check out the actual interview located at www.inyourheadonline.com. In Your Head can be heard every Wednesday at 6:00 PM EST and be sure to also check out past interviews in the archive section and sign up in the IYH message board were you can post questions to future guests.

Jack starts out the interview by asking what its like to talk to his fans out of character after all the years of protecting kayfabe. Kamala said its very strange and that a lot of fans were amazed he can speak English. He went on to say that he doesn?t like how open wrestling is nowadays and that although it was very hard to keep kayfabe he misses it.

When asked what his opinions are, after all the years of being a heel to now being cheered by the fans as a baby face, Kamala said that he likes it, more people come up to him and buy his music but he prefers being a heel, its fun and a lot easier compared to being a baby face.

Jack asks what it was like when he first got into pro wresting and if he had a hard time with any of the veterans. Kamala said he never had any problems and that even though he was brought up around a lot the veterans they never treated him bad. He went onto say a couple of names that helped him, when he was first starting out, The Great Mephisto, Bobo Brazil, Percy Pringle and The Freebirds.

Kamala was fan of wrestling before he got into it professionally, he said that he spent a lot of time in Florida going to wrestling shows live. He was a big fan of the Briscoe Brothers and he said he never was interested in pursuing wrestling as a career, but he just enjoyed watching it. Kamala then goes on to say that he doesn?t watch any pro wrestling product now and the only time he?ll watch it is if he goes to a friends house or if his grandchildren are watching it. He says there isn?t any thing that he dislikes about the product and when ever he watches it he enjoys it.

Jack brings up characters and gimmicks in wrestling and if Kamala thinks wrestling needs more nowadays. Kamala brings up George Steele and says that the fans really come to see characters like that, but now it seems as though every match is billed as a main event type match and the use of characters has diminished.

Kamala says that its harder now for people to get into the wrestling business, because back when there were territories, there were places for everyone to go, now Vince McMahon runs pretty much everything now.

Jack asks about working in the Memphis Territory back in the day. Kamala said that back in 1982 in Memphis is when he first debuted the Kamala gimmick and that Jerry ?The King? Lawler was the one that came up with the gimmick for him.

When asked what it was like to wrestle Brian Danielson recently in Connecticut, Kamala said he was very impressed with him and it was his first time hearing about him or wrestling him and said that he had a very good match with him.

Kamala is asked about the Umaga gimmick in WWE and what he thinks about it. He said that he has known him since he was 12 years old and said he has a pretty good gimmick but Kamala is much better.


Jack asks if he ever used the gimmick in Africa and if it got over with the fans. Kamala said that he did the gimmick in front of 100,000 people in Nigeria and when he was approached from people asking why he wanted to be from Africa, and that he was lost for words when asked that.

A fan from the chat room asks if it was a problem for him wrestling barefoot and if he broke any of his toes. Kamala went onto say that he never broke any of his toes, but he did brake his ankle but he was wearing boots when that happened.

Kamala is asked if he enjoyed doing the recent matches with Eugene for WWE, but he said he enjoys wrestling for WWE but whenever he goes back there he just wants to ?Get in, and get out? because the days seem so long

The Diva Search is brought up and said that he was surprised that the WWE wanted him to make a brief cameo for that, and he enjoyed having the divas patting his belly.

Kamala?s singing career is brought up, and Jack asks how long he has been singing and whose idea it was. Kamala says about 4 or 5 years and that he was the one that came out with the idea. He has his own studio in his house and has written over 100 songs himself. He said that people are surprised when people find out that its him singing.

Jack asks how he has been treated throughout his career in the wresting business. Kamala went on to say it was hard for a while and there was a time when he was discriminated against and that back in the day he would get kicked out of dressing rooms by promoters so that stars like Hogan, Andre and Randy Savage would have a place to get ready.

Kamala said that Andre the Giant was the best big man he had ever worked with and was the most agile big man he ever worked with.

Jack asks who he enjoys working with more, bigger guys or the smaller guys that would sell moves for him. He said he enjoyed working with the smaller guys but the one man he really enjoyed working with was Hulk Hogan because he was so charismatic and that he also enjoyed working with Bret Hart and Koko B. Ware

Bill Watts and Mid-South is brought up by Jack and Kamala says that Bill Watts was the best promoter he ever worked with because he paid him the most money and treated him the best overall.

Jack asks about WCW and his experiences in the Dungeon of Doom, Kamala said he didn?t enjoy WCW at all and was never officially signed to a contract with them and that even though Eric Bischoff was his employer, to this day he has never spoken to him. He went onto say that WCW was the least enjoyable time in his career and that he didn?t wrestle for 7 years after his stint with WCW.

A fan from the Message board asks who Kamala?s favorite Kim Chee was and if he painted his belly himself. Kamala says that he paints his belly himself and his favorite Kim Chee was Steve Lombardi.

In Kamala?s last moments on the show he hopes the fans keep pulling for him to get a record deal for his music and that he thinks and dreams about them and he loves all his fans very much. For more information on The Ugandan Giant Kamala and if you want to check out his music go to http://www.thegiantkamala.com.

Don?t forget to go to www.inyourheadonline.com and check out past interviews in the archive section and sign up for the message board and ask all future IYH guests your personal questions or if you want you can always call into the show and ask a superstars yourself.

Next week, In Your Head will have ROH wrestler Jimmy Jacobs, so be sure to head over to the message board and post some questions for him.

---?IYH Rookie of the Year Candidate? Rios Granillo?.Vote Rios