VOC Nation sent along the following highlights of a recent interview with Kamala:
On becoming a wrestler: “I didn’t really want to be a wrestler. I liked watching wrestling and I couldn’t really find a (real) job.I was with Bobo Brazil and he started training me. I thought itwould be a quick way to make some money, get wealthy, and get rightback out of it. I never wanted to be a wrestler. If I had to do itall over again I wouldn’t be a wrestler.”
On his start and his gimmick: “My first match was with The GreatMaphesto; he broke me in and gave me my start. Jerry Lawler came upwith the Kamala idea. I used to live in Africa and I startedpainting myself back then.”
On working with Andre the Giant: “Andre wasn’t the friendly guy that he appeared to be. He was real temperamental and had a nasty attitude. When I first started working with him, he called me a (derogatory) name in the ring and I beat him up. After that, I never had another problem with him. A lot of (top guys had problems with Andre too). He would just go out and mop the floor with people. He treated (wrestlers) nasty, and the fans too. Andre would do it just about every night. Guys would watch through the curtain to see what he was going to do.”
On working with Hulk Hogan: “We had a lot of good matches and drew a lot of fans all over. Working with Hogan was easy and a treat. I loved working with him.”
On racism in the WWE: “In Summerslam 92, I had one of my biggest matches against the Undertaker. He made a half million dollars and I made 13 (thousand). There was a lot of racism in the WWE. I remember so many times when I was there, I would get there early and find me a nice dressing room; the agents would (kick me out and) let (the white stars) have the dressing room. When I went out to the ring, I was a superstar; backstage I was a nothing.”
On the Undertaker: “I love the Undertaker. If I see him on TV, I’ll stop and watch. I love his gimmick, and I like him. He’s a respectable man and I got along real good with him, and I love his work.”
On retirement and regrets: “I don’t miss it. I wish I had made money where I could have retired and enjoyed life. I worked so hard all those years and didn’t make any money. If I had made money, I would have done the right thing and invested it. I don’t watch wrestling today. If my friends are watching it, I’ll get up and leave. It brings back bad memories.”
On Vince McMahon: “Vince McMahon has certain people that he will pay. If you get along with Vince, do him sexual favors, you’ll get along good with him. But if you just (do your job and) mind your own business, then he doesn’t like you for some reason. There was a lot of men with men in those days and even men with boys. I know a lot of guys that (failed drug tests) and it was documented that they passed, and I know what they did.”
Check out the complete interview at VOCNation.com.