I Listen So You Don't Have To: Steve Austin Show ep. 143

Kamala may have played a tribal character, but he had some articulate things to say on the Austin Show
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you're new, here's the rundown: I listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are better wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but these are the ones in my regular rotation that I feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If I can save other folks some time, I'm happy to do so.

Show: Steve Austin Show
Episode: 143
Run Time: 1:35:34
Guest: James “Kamala” Harris

Summary: The interview starts at 18:08. Before that Austin gives a rundown of his SummerSlam experience with fleeting thoughts on guys like Cesaro and Roman Reigns. The chat with Kamala gets into his life before wrestling, his conversion from “Sugar Bear” Harris into the Ugandan Giant and the time he spent all over the world — in Mexico, England, Mid-South, Memphis, World Class, Crockett, and the WWF.

Quote of the week: “I got my gun, put in my pocket, an old .357 Magnum, and I put it in my pants pocket and I walked across over there to Andre, he was sitting there talking to Dusty Rhodes. I said, ‘Andre, don’t you ever —’ I had my finger on his nose, I was popping his nose. And I’m glad to this day he didn’t get physical.”

Why you should listen: When was the last time you heard a good Kamala interview? The peak of Kamala’s fame also was the peak of the territory era, which means even fans familiar with his work in one of the promotions where he earned his stripes likely are largely unaware of his other stops. There’s far more backstage talk than in-ring discussion, but this is Kamala here. There’s not much to break down between the bells.

Why you should skip it: You can definitely bypass the intro segment. It’s not incredibly interesting to hear Austin and Kamala break down their affinity for Mexican food over British fare. Austin is more a fan of Kamala than a peer (though he is a legitimate admirer), so a lot of the questions boil down to Austin reciting a moment from Kamala’s career, then saying “Tell me about that.” While it’s a long interview, they cover such a significant period of time, little is explored in depth.

Final thoughts: Having Austin interview Kamala is a more enlightening experience than I’d expect from the other podcasts hosts in my rotation. His drawl and audio quality make it impossible to understand every word, but the guy is a living legend who has a far more positive life outlook than most of his peers, especially so given the way diabetes is wrecking his body. Unless Austin’s part two with Foley blows me away, this might be the best show of the week.