Tony Atlas vs. Kamala (1983/02/25)

[@LoganCharlesII]

I loved the Kamala gimmick. That guy did a great job with it. I know that some people have called it racist but I'm black and I still liked it. And this match was perfect in its storytelling.

[@mikecaldwell8417]

Kamala was great. He was both scary when coming out into ring but hilarious when in the ring

[@diablo666541]

I hate when bring that racist shit in wrestling you can see how it affects NFL NBA MLB now all going broke keep out of wrestling wrestlers don't kneel like they do

[@BMichaelGalloway]

😎 thanks for this comment. I used to watch Kamala with trepidation and fear, because I honestly thought he was a cannibal from Uganda when I was 8 years old..!

[@JohnnyButtons]

Everyone thinks everything is racist anymore. They've cried wolf so much that the word itself means !$%&?! now.

[@christopherwood2290]

Yeah, there were some old school racial stereotypes storylines in wrestling to add to the drama but the bottom line is that wrestling fans were colorblind. Everybody loved Junk Yard Dog but hated Roddy Piper.

[@bigpapa.B]

Kamala was incredible. I can remember as a kid being legitimately afraid of this guy.

[@jeramyt9668]

U and me both brother. I was so afraid of him I pissed in my moms lap when he walked passed us at a wrestling event when I was about 3 years old.

[@basharcali]

I hung out with Kamala for two hours. He's the nicest person you'll ever meet

[@scotteisner5413]

Me too! I got over it when I was about 30!

[@WOLFENCT]

My favorite wrestler of them all. Loved Tony Atlas. Nobody to this day has ever had more muscles & defined physique than Mr. USA

[@broadwaybiz211]

Agreed

[@MrMferg240]

and nobody in the business took as many steroids either.

[@beforereal8662]

...and he never touched weights...

[@giovannisocci8793]

Ultimate warrior had a great physique,bigger muscles,heavier.

[@justin-nf3ep]

Giovanni Socci ultimate warrior was never bigger then tony atlas

[@michaelstern8657]

I saw Atlas and Kamala fight in Chalmette Louisiana. Sitting in the front row, Kamala fell out of the ring and on the floor in front of me. I swear, I felt the whole building shake!

[@JohnnyButtons]

#TonyAtlas will always be my favorite childhood wrestler! He was my hero in late '70s-early '80s.

[@mrffbmanagerguy6322]

was mine too until i watched vid. he sucked. no moves whatsoever

[@intelligentfool09]

8 mins in not one bodyslam and the crowd was going nuts.🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@wilhelmhesse1348]

Kamala IMO stands as one of the best pro wrestlers of all time...his antics.in thw ring were entertaining and they have become like wine over the years....RIP legend 😥 Tony Atlas actually did a flying roundhouse kick! And this was way before JCVD or any other action stars making that mive popular! Amazing💯💯💯

[@quadraticresidue]

Good stuff, thanks for sharing. Skandor Akbar was an enormously wealthy man, a cousin to the Saudi Royal family. Bronco Lubich was supposed to call the match but got hold of a bad burrito earlier that day and unable to show up for work.

[@ScrapNfight]

Great upload. Atlas was such a generous wrestler selling big time here for Kamala to the point of looking like he's crying in that punishing armpit claw hold.

[@JackBarrett7]

that wasnt selling it..thats the Ugandan Pit Pinch. its a career ending, deadly move. In fact, Tony Atlas learned it in this match n later used it in a real fight w Orndorff.

[@grimeybeast1465]

@@JackBarrett7 This might be the most kayfabe comment of all time. Kudos to you sir. Kudos to you.

[@mybrotherskids1086]

Tony was in such phenomenal shape, and Kamala will always be my number 2 favorite wrestler ever, Jim totally embraced that gimmick. He really made "Kamala" seem so legit. Great match with 2 great performers!

[@patricksullivan2261]

My God Jim Harris was so good with that gimmick. He wrestles exactly like a monster heel should.

[@alainmallette2265]

They killed the gimmick when they turned him face. Just like they did to Doink.

[@jimmydcap]

For being a heel he was loved by so many !!

[@michaeltoney2938]

Rip to him. I just heard the news today, that he haf passed away. My deepest condolences to the family.

[@jonathandalesr8336]

One thing I like about old school wrestling they knew how to keep the people on their feet

[@dtogo4286]

Tony Atlas is up there with Kerry Von Erich, Rick Rude, Ultimate Warrior, and Lex Luger for impressive builds

[@theraven3481]

Ya think.....he's the only one u just named that was a semi successful bodybuilder

[@StDiddy1975]

This is as good as I’ve seen Kamala wrestle. The character was great and Jim Harris played it well.

[@janwilliams178]

Pure entertainment the crowd loved every bit of it.

[@jrsmith1998]

Kamala selling is hilarious. Always has been.

[@lahummer5759]

Every time i hear our Vice Presidents name. I think of this guy, 😂

[@steveroe6771]

Classic!

[@andrewatuahene3234]

Tony Atlas was huge back in the day!!!!!

[@Smodlee]

Tony atlas is my neighbor lol for real don’t believe me Wikipedia his name you’ll see. We have coffee every morning.

[@justin-nf3ep]

DISTRESS how come ur name comes up on his Wikipedia it’s usually don’t list neighbors and friends just asking so please don’t bite my head off I’m an atlas fan from way back and watched him on legends house and always thought he was really polite and respectful to everyone

[@Dynamo001]

@@justin-nf3ep He's a delusional liar, that's why. There are a ton of them in the comments of KZbin vids, like this one. It's getting to damn-near epidemic proportions.

[@subelildirty491]

Heluva good match. I miss when wrestling told a story. Sounds like 50k in the stands. I used that Kamala Underarm grip and Bam Bam Gordy's Oriental Spike on my cousins.

[@santosjerez1586]

Tony Atlas Pure Powerhouse ...

[@WOLFENCT]

@BroskyWhoDatedHoski he put up 600

[@WZ912]

@@WOLFENCT Cheat curled 350 and Overhead Pressed over 400

[@jeramyt9668]

The good ol days of Paul Bosch and Houston wrestling at the Sam Houston Coliseum on channel 39. Man I miss those days.

[@Highwayman7549]

Oh yea man I remember that .. good ole days ...on bikes all day hurrying up to get home

[@kobeburrows2026]

When mr atlas said he was once homeless I felt so bad for him. A lot of wrestlers are poor

[@stevedrums1675]

Kamala learning how to bowl is still one of the funniest things I've ever seen in pro wrestling.

[@eatpigsnot]

that was sports entertainment not pro wrestling

[@MrAwesomeMatty]

Watching these old matches, I think I'm starting to get a glimpse of why Jim Cornette preferred the Territory days of WWE/Modern Era. This kind of match and the way it flowed sort of makes you believe it's a power struggle. Back before people know wrestling was a work and scripted...

[@akumawani]

i prefer watching the old timers too because knowing its a work makes you appreciate how much these guys had to put in make it go... its even more enjoyable all these many years later-

[@tomr3422]

people have knew wrestling was a works as far back as I can remember( Im old), the difference is the Guys where real characters behind the characters, and made you want to believe in what they did. No one showed up with a headshot at a school to be a wrestler, they had to earn the right to be there. As a young kid I knew a wrestler and he lived (for the most part his gimmick in public) he was a heal and it boggled my little mind when he came to the ring and got bo'd, My grandma hated him, I was always trying to tell everyone how nice he was. He said that Mr Harris was a pleasure to work with ( I was worried) I guess he was trying to smarten me up but I was too young to get it.

[@troyfunk5578]

Seeing Hacksaw Jim Duggan as a heel is pretty rare. I only remember him doing one other heel turn, back in the WCW days. I remember first seeing Kamala/Harris in the Von Erichs' wrestling company. He finally had one face turn in WWF. Heel manager Slick had returned as face Reverend Slick and became his new manager when Kimchi kept abusing him until Kamala rebelled. I don't know when it ended, but it didn't last long, probably because the Attitude Era was about to begin. The irony is that Atlas had a later gimmick in WWF where he was Saba Simba, or Seven Lions, and he would come out with a mask, spear, shield, and face paint. That didn't last long, either.

[@spectrumlocalb191]

JIM HARRIS JUST WAS NOT TREATED RIGHT BY THE BUSINESS.

[@Lunacyk]

@joe winkler MOST of the 80s wrestlers are broke. Save for a few who invested in a home and real estate, businesses and did a movie or two. Some went to college and finished degrees. But many kept working into their 50s-60s until they couldn't. Now they do autographs and the convention circuit. Kamala got done dirty by many, especially McMahon Jr.

[@giovannisocci8793]

He got the same or a bigger push than others,he failed to evolve with the times. He could ve used an agent to handle his contracts,travel and manage his money, like Paul Ellering did the Warriors,Gary Hart could ve been a great asset,but Kamala didn t want to pay a manager, so he lost the chance of a more lucrative career,in time,he was left behind.

[@HajiAbdullah]

There needs to be a DARK SIDE of the RING about him before he meets the ancestors. His story is really good

[@ronwhiteleo3352]

and he made wrestling famous,, shame shame shame..

[@diablo666541]

@@Lunacyk Abdullah invested his money and did well . he even had bbq place in Georgia

[@TheRmm1976]

11:03 wow I never knew until this moment that Hacksaw Duggan was ever a HEEL. I'm shocked!!

[@victorflores2780]

Yea, Duggan was a heel since Southwestern Championship Wrestling in Texas. A Bruiser Brody type heel. He became a babyface to take on Ted DeBiase & Matt Borne in Mid-South

[@MedalAddict]

That crowd pop was INSANE

[@michaelantonio6643]

Tony Atlas was one of my favorites back then.. why? He's so buffed he looks more like a Hulk, much like Lou Ferrigno lol. Shoutout to Kamala and Hacksaw both are all time greats too

[@vatsalsaxena8813]

Damn. Just look at how incredibly buff Tony Atlas was !

[@pkell7315]

I saw him in the 80s Hershey pa he was a freakin 👹 💪 💪

[@TheSacred55]

Yeah - his arms/chest were world-class, dude could have been Mr. Olympia ...

[@WZ912]

@@TheSacred55 YEP! YEP! YEP!

[@asurlybarber3620]

I ran into that referee at Wal-Mart the other week. He fell down unconscious and didn't move for 10 minutes.

[@شريفالجزار-ض3و]

الحمد لله على كل عام وانت طيب وبخير يا رب العرش العظيم

[@redpill.world2475]

That super Saiyan roundhouse Atlas kick tho lmao... it's so powerful that even when you miss you're target the chi still knocks ya off your feet hahahha you just gotta love old school wrestling 😂🤣

[@TheJayX]

Hahaha

[@samanthap1006]

kamala character legendary, as were few 80s characters.. kamala, honky tonk man, demolition, the great kabuki, the assassins ( ax of demolition). and bring back the managers, Wrestling to me is now dead

[@NormanElder-n7u]

Good to watch all this old wrestler Thank you for shareling.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 shareling

[@EarlSkakel]

I give a thumbs down to the people who gave this a thumbs down.

[@vincegedeon6583]

Grew up watching Mr 🇺🇲 damn he was a Monster but Kamala was so fast and agile for his size great match 🤘💪💕

[@elvisparker4691]

Tony Atlas's arms are Incredible ! Kamala is Massive too !

[@eddie486us]

I don't have the right to judge these guys but it's hard to watch this now. I can't believe I enjoyed it so much as a kid. This was 83 and Kamala did this for years well into the 90's and had nothing to show for it.

[@dansomman1896]

Just wrestling no commentators no talking just wrestling gotta love it

[@elvisparker4691]

Awesome Match !! Hats off to two Great Stars !! Amazing Physicality on both Men. Making 6'3" 300 lb Duggan look average.

[@christopherwood2290]

No way Duggan was actually 6'3" or 300 pounds. Probably about 6'1" and maybe 250 max.

[@christopherwood2290]

Wrestling used to be so much fun. Vince McMahon killed it.

[@jimmydcap]

The PC culture killed it.

[@ahmedhossain4890]

X

[@apocyldoomer]

Great match, no annoying announcers, just the way I like it!

[@JackBarrett7]

Everytime I see Kamala now I think of the story of his second year in Memphis as Kamala. After two years of Lawler painting the crescent moon on his stomach, he got up the courage to ask him: "Mr. Jerry, Ive been wantin to ask: why do you keep drawing those bananas on me"? lol Hes a really nice man.

[@jimmydaniel6143]

This poor ref can't catch a break lol. And how about Hacksaw as a heel!!

[@chunkymunkey9182]

I thought Hacksaw as a heel was awecome :D

[@michaeltoney2938]

Wow. Just pass through Kamala's real home town"of Batesville Ms. a couple hrs ago. Great match.

[@alexguiterez8807]

No body slam, just entertainment. Great match from millenial person 👍.

[@nvalle23]

Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas. My 2nd favorite team of all time. (Road Warriors)

[@dietrichwilliams2913]

Atlas leg's are not skinny!, it's just above the waist, the guy is massive!!!

[@MR-in8bl]

Tony...I'd leave the spinning round house kicks for Waltman, lol. God that looked awful.....I still love u though.

[@mindmesh7566]

Did Tony almost do a spinning heel kick……And did he do a super kick!!!!!??????!!!!!!!…Kamala needed to sell better. He was in there with TONY FREAKING ATLAS!!!!!!

[@ujjayacharya4474]

Wtf u talking about, Jim was a better wrestler then Tony.

[@charlierobles316]

Go tell him

[@dante666jt]

Rip Kamala

[@pkell7315]

I saw Tony in the 80s in Hershey pa he was a freakin 👹

[@mattyancick599]

The good old days.

[@michaelpatanella]

listen to that beautiful crowd

[@pedrocardozafalero360]

0rey maryin catdózs rrsmorrz Rrey mstton. Cardo s rsmorez

[@timbrown5576]

Back in those days, it takes damn near forever to get the match started.

[@gasparmendez9067]

Una lucha muy espe tacular sobre todo muchas llaves y esa demostracion de lucha olimpica qie barbaro demasiada tecnica

[@magnificentone4686]

Great match! Hot crowd! Forgot Duggan was part of Skandor Akbar’s “The Rat Psck” with Borne & Dibiase.

[@question772000]

I gotta try that belly slap and the bunny hop thing next time I go to the kitchen.

[@kevinp7300]

11:03 Did you see Hacksaw Jim Duggan interfere and go after Tony Atlas? He was actually a heel? I never knew that! Wow!

[@philipscott3241]

Kamala was in his gimmick eyes-deep. No matter how hard he got hit, he kept moving to attack with the chop.

[@josephvitielo1693]

Kim chee also lol

[@robertcooney1938]

Tony was JACKED and Kamalla is awesome.

[@falcundo]

I never knew hacksaw was a heel at one point in his career

[@fredicagoillanoise1309]

Yep... Duggan came into Mid South as a heel as part of the Rat Pack alongside Ted DiBiase and the late Matt Bourne.

[@dgair7111]

He was a heel at 1 point in WCW when he was waiving the Canadian flag.

[@russkline2357]

Funny this is he was a really good heel

[@vavoom5971]

For reals brother I never knew Hacksaw was a heel,,too 😜

[@killoreo]

Hooooo!!!

[@darthfushang1]

Yes! Good clean fun I was 19 at the time.

[@extremekurt]

I love both Kamala and Tony Atlas...two great pro wrestlers ❤️

[@stevenmccann6971]

Kamala was such a great heel

[@tonygarea7925]

Those ref bumps make suspending belief difficult lol

[@johnreed9050]

I didn't know Kampala was in the wee that early on. I thought he was late 80s early 90s

[@matthewmartinez140]

Never knew jim duggen was a bad guy....hes a big solid dude..&ucant mention big without say Atlas..geez i never seen Atlas bfor, either that or i dont remember..

[@bacchusendo9032]

Bruce Prichard as the ring announcer at the beginning of the video - this is also Paul Boesch's promotion at the time, so makes sense.

[@dabunnyman9133]

That's gotta be one of the most fragile referees I've ever seen.

[@christopherwood2290]

Yeah, he was like 105 years old.

[@michaelgagliano450]

what a classic match

[@outoftime788]

dam good ass picture quality holy

[@warrenroy7333]

Ahhhh the good old days

[@tysman621]

Was that Bruce Pritchard as the ring announcer? This is Paul Bosch's Houston territory and Pritchard started.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

Yes sir.

[@30over3]

Brother Love on the mic intros!!

[@skinnyman1434]

Missed this one in real time, but never in my wrestling watching years have l seen someone that vexed over an armpit and grew up during the Verne Gagne and Pepper Gomez era.

[@mrmoon1045]

Bruce Pritchard on the mic. amazing

[@cathydrumobich9045]

The funny thing is that with all of Atlas' thick muscles he wouldn't even have felt that silly claw hold!

[@MrRtubers]

Lool theres no way he didnt felt that armpit hold

[@act-a-fool-in-here8848]

The good old days

[@bttnufc6725]

Tony was a machine

[@jamesdavidson4769]

R.I.P. Kamala, Jim Harris.

[@djoannae.ducovlog1810]

I was 8 years old back then.tony atlas my real hero

[@apocyldoomer]

Kamala was from Cleveland,Ohio, he lost both legs to diabetes, unfortunately. He is a Hall of Famer. RIP Kamala.

[@jsmith5199]

RIP jim Harris aka Kamala a true great of wrestling

[@CarlosSanchez-bg4wf]

Kamala n Tony nailed it. Good old days n why is Tony trying to dance like rocky Johnson. Lol

[@jonathanduplantis1403]

Saba simba. Now that was a crsppy gimmick. I remember ventura saying to McMahon "that's Tony atlas!". And vince going, uh no, he legally changed his name to saba simba. "Don't gimme that McMahon, that's Tony Atlas."

[@stephenkinq5425]

Jim Before The Hacksaw

[@petesnow2484]

Kamala was one of the greatest heels. sad how vince treated him

[@frankcabanski9409]

Vince treated him well.

[@alicehouse482]

This was a great match

[@cloudlover9186]

which wrestling promotion it is ?

[@allancove4483]

Pardon me for asking this, but was this taken from the Mid South Coliseum in Memphis? Just curious was all.

[@leroyray3261]

Sam Houston colosseum in Houston,TX

[@waylandmoody9717]

1919 Caroline at the corner of Pierce, SAM HOUSTON COLLOSIUM

[@jamie.777]

Those Kamala chops look so viscous

[@coachrobinson9958]

(RIP) Triple OG Jim "Kamala/Sugar Bear" Harris. 🌄

[@michaelstern8657]

I didn’t realize that Jim Harris just passed away three months ago...RIP Kamala.

[@mido11977]

يبدو أننى العربى الوحيد الذى شاهد هذه المباراة

[@mikeservello4394]

Was that Bruce Prichard announcing ?

[@danlivni2097]

Kamala should have held a champion belt

[@Dynamo001]

I wonder why there is no commentary on this?

[@jonathanturbide2232]

It's because commentary was added on a later date for some of these Houston cards, since some matches were made to air only in Houston while others aired on Mid-South tv and others for possibly other promotions.

[@MrCMVikram]

As Jessy Ventura once said 'Tony Atlas has a million dollar body and a ten cent brain.

[@floridagator1765]

The Kamala gimmick was disgraceful

[@dante666jt]

Why?

[@radentstwo9793]

@@dante666jt Stereotype I believe

[@hassanznan6007]

الله على أيام واعوام الثمانينات