Harley race biography

Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race referred to himself as "The Greatest Wrestler on God's Green Earth" and with good reason. After winning three AWA World Tag Team Championships, the NWA World Team Championship and becoming the first United States Champion, Race won no less than eight NWA World Heavyweight Championships. The Handsome One won those titles from WWE Hall of Famers, Dory Funk, Jr., Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair. Race's eight reigns stood as a record number of World Heavyweight Title reigns until Ric Flair tied the impressive total in 1991. To this day, only a handful of men can claim to have won more World Heavyweight Championships than Harley Race — and none would dare claim they are tougher. During the 1970s and early '80s, Race was the NWA's most dominant champion, representing the sport's oldest World Heavyweight Title with pride and defending it all over the world with his raw-boned and rugged mat style. His impact in sports-entertainment was so great that WWE made Race the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion to engage in historic title unification matches against WWE Champions like "Superstar" Billy Graham and Bob Backlund. Race finally joined WWE full-time during the company's national expansion, and was introduced to a new generation of sports-entertainment fans worldwide as "The King" Harley Race. Clad in regal robes and a crown, he faced the late Junkyard Dog in a memorable encounter at WrestleMania III in front of over 93,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. He was also one of the earliest King of the Ring tournament winners in 1986, years before that event became an annual pay-per-view spectacular. Harley Race was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 and will always be regarded as one of the toughest men in sports-entertainment history.

Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race referred to himself as "The Greatest Wrestler on God's Green Earth" and with good reason.

After winning three AWA World Tag Team Championships, the NWA World Team Championship and becoming the first United States Champion, Race won no less than eight NWA World Heavyweight Championships. The Handsome One won those titles from WWE Hall of Famers, Dory Funk, Jr., Terry Funk, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair. Race's eight reigns stood as a record number of World Heavyweight Title reigns until Ric Flair tied the impressive total in 1991. To this day, only a handful of men can claim to have won more World Heavyweight Championships than Harley Race — and none would dare claim they are tougher.

During the 1970s and early '80s, Race was the NWA's most dominant champion, representing the sport's oldest World Heavyweight Title with pride and defending it all over the world with his raw-boned and rugged mat style. His impact in sports-entertainment was so great that WWE made Race the first NWA World Heavyweight Champion to engage in historic title unification matches against WWE Champions like "Superstar" Billy Graham and Bob Backlund.

Race finally joined WWE full-time during the company's national expansion, and was introduced to a new generation of sports-entertainment fans worldwide as "The King" Harley Race. Clad in regal robes and a crown, he faced the late Junkyard Dog in a memorable encounter at WrestleMania III in front of over 93,000 fans at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. He was also one of the earliest King of the Ring tournament winners in 1986, years before that event became an annual pay-per-view spectacular.

Harley Race was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 and will always be regarded as one of the toughest men in sports-entertainment history.

American professional wrestler, promoter and trainer

Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and trainer.

Race wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). He was a nine-time world champion, having won the WWA World Heavyweight Championship once and the NWA World Heavyweight Championshipeight times and was the first NWA United States Heavyweight Champion (now WWE United States Championship).

Race is one of six men to have been inducted into each of the WWE Hall of Fame, the NWA Hall of Fame, the WCW Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. He is widely considered as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

Early life

Race was born in Quitman, Missouri, on April 11, 1943. Race was an early fan of professional wrestling, watching programming from the nearby Chicago territory on the DuMont Television Network. After overcoming polio as a child, he began training as a professional wrestler as a teen under former world champions Stanislaus and Wladek Zbyszko, who operated a farm in his native Missouri. While in high school, an altercation with a 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 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and 225 lb (102 kg), Race decided to get his start in professional wrestling. Race then became the driver of Happy Humphrey who was too large to drive at the time.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1959–1965)

Race was recruited by St. Joseph wrestling promoter Gust Karras who hired Race to do odd jobs for his promotion, including

Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 – August 1, 2019) was an American retired professional wrestler. He was best known for wrestling for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

He was one of only six people to be inducted into each of the WWE Hall of Fame, the WCW Hall of Fame, the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

On March 1, 2019, Race's close friend Ric Flair announced that Race was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. He died five months later on August 1 from the disease in St. Charles, Missouri, aged 76.

Championships

Even though the championship was almost always used and defended in the Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling promotion, there were some times where it was won and defended through agreements with other wrestling promotions. Race was awarded the title with the explanation that he defeated Johnny Weaver in a tournament final while wrestling on a card for Championship Wrestling from Florida

References

Other websites