We regretfully inform you that the legendary Harley Race passed away just a few hours ago at the time of this posting. Race had been fighting an illness for the past few weeks. He was hospitalized on July 15th due to failing health. Out of privacy concerns, no further information was given on what he was dealing with.
Harley Race was a magnificent champion and one of the most influential men in wrestling history. A star wrestler from the 60s through the 80s, he amassed eight NWA World Heavyweight Title reigns. He is credited by many to be perhaps the best champion in that title’s illustrious history, and a major reason why it held so much prestige back in his day.
Famously, Harley Race headlined the original Starrcade event back in 1983, which popularized the use of closed circuit television for major wrestling shows. This would later be adopted by the original few WrestleMania events. At Starrcade, Race was the defending NWA World Heavyweight Champion, his final major title reign. He passed the torch to Ric Flair on that night, helping make another legend as he faded from the spotlight.
After this, he would go on to the WWF in which he won the second-ever King of the Ring. He became the first in a long line of KOTR winners to don a cape and crown and begin calling himself king. This was supposedly done as a means of honoring his wrestling pedigree without acknowledging the NWA.
Harley Race was a famously tough, rugged individual, highly respected for his grit and his undying love and commitment to the business of pro wrestling.
As a sign of how well regarded he is, he has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, the NWA Hall of Fame, the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame in Wichita, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. He is one of only six men to be inducted in all four of those halls of fame, alongside Ric Flair, Lou Thesz, Ricky Steamboat, Mil Mascaras and Dusty Rhodes.
In his latter years, he tried his hand at promoting. He bought a portion of the territories in Kansas City and St. Louis, where he ended up clashing with Vince McMahon’s destructive expansion. In 1999, he tried again and began World League Wrestling, an independent promotion that’s still active today. It runs around the Missouri area where Race called home, and works in conjunction with Harley Race’s Wrestling Academy.
It’s somewhat haunting to me that literally just last night, I watched the aforementioned match he had with Ric Flair. The two fought in a gritty steel cage match that truly defined the era. Race, for all his accolades and for all the arrogance of the time, clearly had no problem passing the torch to a worthy successor. He was a true credit to the business at every stage of his life and he will be dearly missed. Condolences of course go out to all his friends and family.
Tributes have naturally been flooding in since the news broke and you can see excerpts of them below.
Today the world lost one of the toughest men ever to walk God's green earth.
RIP Harley Race!
8X NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.The entire sport of professional wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Harley. pic.twitter.com/rEiHknbYn1
— NWA (@nwa) August 1, 2019
Today at 12:50, we lost the man that fought up until the very last of his existence. More information will be released soon, but just know that he loved pro-wrestling and the fans that loved him.
Harley Race, we love you
— Harley Race (@8XNWAChampion) August 1, 2019
Harley Race was literally the King of his profession for 25 years. Long live the King. pic.twitter.com/nY3V5hyp3N
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) August 1, 2019
Thank you Harley. So many legends in the industry will tell you he was the toughest to ever do it. He never stopped giving. I remember when he managed Vader in wcw, he would still try and scare me backstage. Ten pounds of gold never looked better on anybody. https://t.co/Q1qq4qEeGT
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) August 1, 2019
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