Last of the tough guys: Harley Race passes away at 76
By J.D. Oliva
Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Pace has passed away after fighting lung cancer.
The professional wrestling world lost one of its last true legends today. Former seven-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Harley Race passed away at the age of 76 after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. A childhood polio survivor, Race was a renown tough guy and began training under former world champions Stanislaus and Wladek Zbyszko after being expelled from high school for beating up the principal.
“Handsome Harley” first came into prominence after teaming with “Pretty Boy” Larry Hennig in the AWA, winning the AWA tag titles three times. Race returned to the Central States territory and won his first NWA championship from Dory Funk, Jr. in 1973.
For the better part of a decade, Race traveled the world representing the NWA and defending the title in multiple territories, cementing his status as the premier wrestler on the 70s. Not since Lou Thez did the NWA have a more reliable champion.
Race’s rivalry with a Charlotte-based upstart named Ric Flair main evened the first Starrcade in November of 1983. The Starrcade match was a transitional moment from the 70s tough guy-era to the glitz and glamor that would define the 1980s.
After staying in Central States for five years, Race joined the WWF and was rebranded King Harley Race. After a short run with WWF Champion Hulk Hogan, Race settled into a journeymen mid-card role in the Heenan Family. Race left the WWF in 1989 and resurfaced as a manager in WCW in 1991, leading Big Van Vader to three WCW World titles.
Race’s impact on the sport cannot be overstated. He was universally respected in an era where promoters were cautious about who was chosen to hold the NWA title. As Flair defined the 1980s, Race was the epitome of the 1970s. He was a burly, legitimately tough fighter who took the business seriously and drove thousands of fans to arena across the country with his interviews.
All Japan promoter, Giant Baba, was so inspired by his in-ring style, that he modeled the AJPW “King’s Road” system on Race’s matches. Wrestlers for generations talked about their admiration for Race and would often pay homage to him when traveling through Kansas City.
The wrestling is a worse place without Harley Race.