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Harley Leland Race (born April 11, 1943 in Quitman, Missouri), is an American professional wrestler and promoter. During his career as a wrestler, he amassed eight National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Championship reigns at a time when wrestlers rarely repeated as champion, and worked for all of the major wrestling promotions, including the NWA, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). His ring skill, legitimate toughness, and classic matches with the icons of professional wrestling make him a legend in the business.

Career

Early career

Race was an early fan of pro wrestling, watching programming from the nearby Chicago territory on the DuMont Network. He began training as a pro wrestler as a teen under former world champions Stanislaus and Wladak Zbyszko, who operated a farm in his native Missouri. At age 15, while in high school, an altercation with another classmate led to the principal kneeing Race in the back of the head as he tried to break up the fight. Enraged, Race attacked him, resulting in his expulsion. Already 6'1" and 225 pounds, Race decided to get his start in pro wrestling.

Race was recruited by St. Joseph wrestling promoter Gus Karras, who hired Race to do odd jobs for his promotion. Eventually, Race started wrestling on some of his shows, and some of Karras' veteran wrestlers helped further Race's training. At the age of 18, he moved to Nashville and began wrestling under the alias of "Jack Long", forming a tag team with "brother" John Long. The duo quickly captured the Southern Tag Team Championship. Race was seen as a rising star in the business with a bright future, until a car accident left him temporarily paralyzed. Although he recovered from his paralysis, doctors told him that he might never walk again, and his wrestling career was over. Undaunted, Race endured grueling physical therapy for several months and made a full recovery. He returned to the ring in 1964, wrestling for the Funks' Amarillo, Texas territory. This time, he wrestled under his own name, after his father told him that he shouldn't work to make anyone else's name famous. Race never used a different ring name again.

In Amarillo, Race met fellow up-and-coming wrestler Larry Hennig (later Larry "The Axe" Hennig and father of Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig). The two formed a tag team and moved to the American Wrestling Association.

AWA career

In the AWA, Race and Hennig branded themselves as "Handsome" Harley Race (which was actually moniker given to him by fans in Japan) and "Pretty Boy" Larry Hennig, a cocky heel tag team with a penchant for breaking the rules to win matches. They quickly become top contenders, and in January, 1965, they defeated the legendary tandem of Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher to capture the AWA Tag Team Championship. Race and Hennig continued to feud with the Bruiser and Crusher and other top teams for the next several years, amassing five title reigns. Verne Gagne, in particular, was a hated rival of the team, and recruited many different partners to try to defeat Race and Hennig during their AWA run.

Despite his tag team success, Race left the AWA after several years at the top of the division to pursue a singles career in the NWA. Although he would return at WrestleRock 86' (against Rick Martel) and challenge Larry Zbyszko for the AWA World title in October of 1990 in the main event of an AWA broadcast on ESPN.

NWA singles career

Race jumped from territory to territory in the early 70's, renewing his rivalry with Terry Funk in Amarillo and winning a regional title. He was seen as a gifted territorial wrester, not quite ready for the worldwide spotlight, until 1973.

In 1973, Race faced NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dory Funk, Jr. in Kansas City, Missouri. Race emerged from the battle as the new World Champion in a stunning upset, a match Race considers the best of his career. Though Race held the title for only a few months, losing it to Jack Brisco in Houston, Texas in July, he became a worldwide superstar and perennial championship contender.

Race was determined to eventually regain the World Championship, often moving between territories and collecting several regional titles, including eight Central States Titles, seven Missouri Titles, the Georgia Heavyweight Championship, the Stampede North American Title in Canada, the Japan-based NWA United National and PWF Titles, and becoming the first-ever holder of the Mid-Atlantic U.S. Title, still defended today as the WWE United States Championship. This kept Race in contention for the World Championship, and Race vowed that he would only need one chance against the champion to regain it.

Race finally got his wish in 1977, facing familiar rival Terry Funk, who had become the champion since their previous encounters, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Race won the title by submission with the Indian Deathlock, a rarely-used submission move but one that put great pressure on Funk's injured leg. The NWA Champion once again, Race this time established his dominance, defending the title up to six times a week and holding it for four years (excluding extremely short reigns by Tommy Rich, Dusty Rhodes, and Giant Baba). At the time, the NWA, AWA and WWF were on good terms, and Race engaged in title vs. title matches with WWF Champions "Superstar" Billy Graham and Bob Backlund, as well as AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel. Race toured extensively all over the country and the world, including many stints in Japan, where he was already well-known from his visits with Larry Hennig.

Race lost the title to Dusty Rhodes in 1981, and despite many attempts, could not regain it from the popular fan favorite. Rhodes lost the title to up-and-coming star Ric Flair, though, and Race was able to defeat Flair in St. Louis in 1983 for his seventh reign as champion, breaking the record previously held by Lou Thesz. What followed was one of the classic angles of the 80's, which led to the first-ever NWA Starrcade event. Determined not to lose the title again, Race offered a $25,000 bounty to anyone who could eliminate Flair from the NWA. Bob Orton, Jr. and Dick Slater attacked Flair, inflicting what appeared to be a career-ending neck injury, and collecting the bounty from Race after Flair announced his retirement. However, Flair's retirement was a ruse, and he eventually returned to action, much to Race's surprise. NWA officials set up a championship rematch, to be titled "NWA Starrcade: A Flair for the Gold." The match was to be held in Flair's backyard, Greensboro, North Carolina, which enraged Race. Race lost the title to Flair in the bloody and memorable Starrcade cage match in November, 1983. He would regain the NWA title for a quickie two-day reign in New Zealand in 1984 (a change not recognized by the NWA in the US until 1999, making Race an eight-time champion), but his loss to Flair at Starrcade was largely seen as the torch-passing from Race to Flair, who would go on to an unparalleled 16 reigns as World Heavyweight Champion (8 of those reigns as NWA World champion) and largely credits Race for igniting his legendary career.

Earlier in his career, Race became involved in the ownership side of wrestling, buying a portion of the Kansas City and later St. Louis territories. St. Louis was a stronghold of the NWA, and around this time in 1984, WWF owner Vincent K. McMahon began his invasion of NWA territories, including St. Louis, in his ambition to build a truly national wrestling promotion. Race was enraged, famously confronting Hulk Hogan at a WWF event in Kansas City. Race lost over $500,000 as an owner of the St. Louis territory, and despite his championship years being at an end and wishing to retire from active competition, was forced to rely on continuing to wrestle to make a living. He continued to travel in the US and abroad, and signed with McMahon's WWF in 1986.

WWF career

Race entered the WWF managed by longtime friend Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, bleaching his hair blond and billing himself again as "Handsome" Harley Race. During a time when feds did not recognize the existence of other feds and the accomplishments a wrestler made there, WWF officials came up with a solution to recognize his wrestling pedigree by renaming the WWF Wrestling Classic to the King of the Ring Tournament and making Race the eventual winner. After winning the 1986 King of the Ring tournament, however, he referred to himself as "King" Harley Race, coming to the ring in a royal crown and cape, to the ceremonial accompaniment of the classical music piece Pictures at an Exhibition, by Modest Mussorgsky.

He participated in a notable feud with the Junkyard Dog, culminating in a match at WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome. While Race never won the WWF Championship (at the time dominated by Hulk Hogan), his career was notable enough to earn him an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. He left the WWF in 1989 (after dropping the crown to Haku at the Royal Rumble), following a brief comeback from hernia surgery. He continued to wrestle until the Spring of 1991, most notably with WWC in Puerto Rico and the AWA. After retiring from competition, Race joined WCW in July 1991 as an adviser/manager to Lex Luger.

WCW career

Race excelled as a manager as he had as a wrestler, immediately leading Lex Luger to the WCW World Championship. Later, he led Vader to win the title as well. During his managership of Vader, Race met with racial controversy when Vader was feuding with WCW wrestler Ron Simmons when saying during a promo, "When I was World Champion, I had a negro like you to carry my bags!". This was actually part of the booking strategy of then-WCW head Bill Watts to build support for Simmons, who he would eventually make champion. The wily veteran was popular among the young WCW talent, and developed close friendships with Mick Foley and Steve Austin, among others. However, as his early wrestling career had been nearly derailed due to a car accident, another car accident forced Race out of the wrestling business altogether. Race required hip replacement surgery, which, along with injuries accumulated after years in the ring, prevented him from even being a manager.

In October of 1999 he had the honor of introducing Bret Hart and Chris Benoit to the ring for their tribute match for Owen Hart.

Retirement and World League Wrestling

Race spent several years away from the business, working briefly as a process server before retiring with his wife in small-town Missouri.

In 1998 another individual named Harley Race committed suicide. The news led to reports on Internet wrestling sites that Race the wrestler had taken his own life.

In 1999 he started World League Wrestling, an independent promotion which runs shows near Race's hometown of Kansas City. A year later, he started Harley Race's Wrestling Academy, which seeks to train up-and-coming wrestlers who will benefit from Race's unique experience and perspective on the wrestling business. Race's events are family oriented, and usually raise funds for local charities. As well as featuring his students, legends like Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Bret Hart, and even Mitsuharu Misawa make guest appearances. WLW has a working agreement with Misawa's Japanese promotion, Pro Wrestling NOAH. He is credited with training former world tag team champions Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.

Harley is also famous for his barbeques, to which he invites current and former wrestlers and friends. He and his wife, BJ, live in Eldon, Missouri.

Harley's autobiography, King of the Ring: the Harley Race Story (ISBN 1582618186), became available in 2004.

Harley Race has said in numerous interviews that he thinks he has what it takes to have at least one more career match, but doubts he'll ever return to the ring.

Along with Ricky Steamboat and Les Thatcher, Race is author of The Professional Wrestler's Workout and Instructional Guide.

Championships and accomplishments

  • 1-Time AJPW United National Champion
  • 1-Time PWF Heavyweight Champion

  • Other titles
  • 1-Time WWC Caribbean Champion
  • 1-Time Stampede Wrestling North American Champion
  • 1-Time WWA Heavyweight Champion
  • 1-Time NWA Mid-American Heavyweight Champion

  • PWI ranked Race # 8 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
  • Race won two PWI Wrestler of the Year Awards: 1979 and 1983. He was also involved in three PWI Match of the Year Awards. They were in 1973 (vs. Dory Funk, Jr.), 1979 (vs. Dusty Rhodes) and 1983 (vs. Ric Flair).

Championship succession

NWA World Heavyweight Championship Preceded by:
Dory Funk, Jr. First Followed by:
Jack Brisco Preceded by:
Terry Funk Second Followed by:
Dusty Rhodes Preceded by:
Dusty Rhodes Third Followed by:
Giant Baba Preceded by:
Giant Baba Fourth Followed by:
Giant Baba Preceded by:
Giant Baba Fifth Followed by:
Tommy Rich Preceded by:
Tommy Rich Sixth Followed by:
Dusty Rhodes Preceded by:
Ric Flair Seventh Followed by:
Ric Flair Preceded by:
Ric Flair Eighth Followed by:
Ric Flair King of the Ring winners Preceded by:
Don Muraco First Followed by:
Haku

External links

1943 births | American professional wrestlers | AWA alumni | Living people | People from Missouri | Professional wrestling executives | Professional wrestling managers and valets | Stampede Wrestling alumni

Harley Race | ハーリー・レイス

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Harley Race".

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