8. Kamala Skandor Akbar And Freddie Blassie To Reverend Slick (Eventually)
The Ugandan Giant Kamala debuted in the WWE back in 1984 with a wild savage gimmick that was ever so slightly racist but gained him a measure of notoriety nonetheless. The Original Managers Kamala was brought into the WWE by Skandor Akbar and Freddie Blassie, but over time he would change managers repeatedly. Kim Chee, who was usually played by the Steve Lombardi of Brooklyn Brawler fame, would become his regular handler and heel managers like The Wizard and Mr Fuji counted him as part of their stables at various points. After leaving the company for a couple of years Kamala re-emerged under the guidance of Kim Chee and Harvey Wippleman, though he hardly made waves during that period. The Change Practically every wrestler not named Ricky Steamboat has changed allegiances at some point in their career and Kamala was no different. The wild man turned face in 1992 after losing the first ever casket match to The Undertaker, aligning himself with Reverend Slick, who himself was something of a negative caricature of black people when he had first entered the company. Odd skits, such as the one where Kamala was taught to bowl, and matches driven by fan interaction ensued, killing Kamalas appeal in the process and helping along his exit from the company a little over half a year later.
Lee Price is a writer for 411mania.com and Starburst Magazine, which is published in the UK. He is currently working as a freelance writer. He hopes to one day fund his addiction to video games by writing about video games, and he maintains a sporadically updated blog at leesrandombulls*it.wordpress.com
