VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

The Beast Is A Human Being, Too

Giant Kimala vs. Misawa
Giant Kimala vs. Mitsuharu Misawa

Giant Kimala (also known as Kimala II / Atkie Malumba / Botswana Beast / Uganda ) has been a regular gaijin (foreign) wrestler for All Japan Pro Wrestling for nine years. He is one of the most underrated wrestlers in the business today. A lot of fans don't known about his athletic ability and passion for his business. This week's View From The Rising Sun introduces you to his unknown career.

Kimala was born in the suburbs of Macon, Georgia on Wednesday, February 19, 1964. He grew up as a basketball player and motocross lover, and as a big wrestling fan.

Kimala: "I became a big wrestling fan when I was about four years old. My daddy was a big fan, and he took me to the local matches. "The Bullet" Bob Armstrong was my most favorite wrestler, and my most hated wrestler was The Assassin # 2 (Jody Hamilton)."

Masanori and "Bullet" Bob Armstrong, father of Brad, Scott, Steve, and Brian "Road Dogg" Armstrong

Ray Gunkel and Paul Jones (not the #1 Paul Jones) had run the NWA booking office in Atlanta, Georgia from the 1940s to the 1970s. Dory Funk Jr. was the 46th NWA World Heavyweight champion from February 11, 1969 to March 24, 1973. Mr. Wrestling (Tim Woods), Johnny Valentine, El Mongol, Tarzan Tyler, The Professional (Doug Gilbert / not the "Dangerous" Doug Gilbert), and Dale Lewis competed for Georgia Heavyweight title, and Ramon & Alberto Torres, Paul "Butcher" Vachon & Stan Vachon (Stan Pulaski), and The Assassins (Tom Renesto & Jody Hamilton) competed for the Georgia Tag Team title in the Georgia territory in those days.

Kimala: "I got involved in professional wrestling in 1985. My friend Bob Brown (not the "Bulldog" Bob Brown) was a local wrestler. He got me involved in a wrestling school. I was trained by Grady Odem in 1986. I had my first match against Keith Steinberg on a local independent show in Americus, Georgia (between Macon and Albany) on Sunday, October 5, 1986. Jackie Fulton and I wrestled in Alabama night after night in 1988. We were very green in those days. My first real break was with Jerry "Crusher" Blackwell's All Star Wrestling and Jody Hamilton's Deep South Wrestling. I beat Ranger Ross and won the Deep South Heavyweight title in Rome, Georgia in February, 1989."

Kimala wrestled for CCW (Continental Championship Wrestling), run by Ron & Robert Fuller and Bob Armstrong, in Birmingham, Alabama, the WWC (World Wrestling Council), run by Carlos Colon in Puerto Rico, and WCCW (World Class Championship Wrestling), run by Kevin & Kerry Adkisson (Von Erich). Kimala, as "Kimala II," made his first appearance in front of Texas fans on the WCCW show at Sportatorium in Dallas, Texas on Friday, September 2, 1988. He, with his loud character, surprised fans that he beat the WCCW World Heavyweight champion, Kerry Von Erich, in a single match. He and the Original Kimala (Kamala [Jim "Sugarbear" Harris]) had a feud with the Von Erichs. Kimala, as "The Botswana Beast" challenged for Atsushi Onita's WWA (World Wrestling Association) Brass Knuckles title on Killer Tim Brooks' NAWA (North American Wrestling Association) show at the Stagecoach Ballroom in Fort Worth, Texas on Monday, February 19, 1990 (Kimala's birthday).

Note: Onita of FMW [Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling] had an American tour in February 1990. At the ICW (International Championship Wrestling) TV taping at Kutsher's Country Club in Monticello, New York on Wednesday, February 21, Onita, with his face painted like Kabuki or Muta, beat Chris Michaels, then he challenged for Tony Atlas' ICW Heavyweight title, and Onita sprayed a colored fog and lost by disqualification.

Giant Kimala and Masanori

Onita and FMW announced The Botswana Beast's coming and that the "African Death Match" would be held at Korakuen Hall, without confirming him. But Kimala, as Giant Kimala II, came to Japan for the first time for Giant Baba's All Japan Pro as Abdullah the Butcher's tag team partner, with Andre the Giant, Stan Hansen & Danny Spivey, Terry Gordy & Steve Williams, Johnny Ace, Dynamite Kid & Johnny Smith, Doug Furnas, Joe & Dean Malenko, Rex King & Steve Doll (Timothy Well and Steve Dunn), and Richard Slinger, from September 29 to October 12, 1990. (Nobody has been able to find out what the "African Death Match" is yet.)

Kimala: "Japanese wrestling is the hardest wrestling in the world today. I think Mr. Baba was the greatest promoter of all times, and he was one of the best in the ring, and a great man to have all."

Kimala's turning point came when his partner, Abdullah the Butcher, left All Japan Pro in April 1996. He decided to stay with All Japan Pro. Baba and Kenta Kobashi praised his potential ability very much. Then, he was given a lot of single matches with top stars and had very good matches.

Abdullah the Butcher and Masanori, with Abdullah's first Japan tour program (August 21- September 17, 1970)

Kimala: "I had two nightmares in my career. First, when Abdullah the Butcher and I were brawling all over the building against Stan Hansen and Danny Spivey at Korakuen Hall in January, 1991 (Sunday, January 27). Danny threw me over the guardrail into the first row, and then I felt an acute pain in the side. A chair pierced my side! I was taken to the hospital. I was scheduled to return home from Narita Airport after the show, but I had to stay in the hospital for a few more days. Second, when I worked for Tiger Jeet Singh (Sr.) and Bill Eadie (Bolo Mongol / Masked Super Star / Demolition Ax) in Ludhiana, India in November, 1994, there was a big riot after a match between "Warrior" Chris Walker (Conan in GWF and SMW) and Demolition Ax. During the match, they threw chairs at the fans, injuring five people. Two local wrestlers ran in, a number of the fans joined them, attacked them, and pounded on them with field hockey sticks. Chris sustained an eye injury, and some fans were also injured in the brawl. The police broke up the brawl and shut down the show."

Kimala's first appearance at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 31, 1999, really surprised me. When Kimala beat Sabu in a single match in Takasaki City Gym in Gumma on Wednesday, June 4, 1997, Sabu decided to quit All Japan Pro, where Sabu had been really mad about how he was positioned as an undercard wrestler. Since then, I have never expected not only Sabu's return to All Japan Pro, but Kimala's appearance in ECW. It's very interesting to see how Kimala will create himself in his new challenges. "Everything you see actually happens." (Rocky Johnson's saying.)

Kimala: "I'm training real hard, losing weight, and trying to get ready for the tour. Wrestling is my whole world, it is everything. I love wrestling and my fans."

Kimala is screaming "Unallah!!! Unallah!!!" like a savage in the ring, but he has his own history and keeps going for his future.

Masanori and Giant Kimala---one of the best dressers in the wrestling business