Harley Race

He is a former professional wrestler, and current promoter and trainer. During his career as a wrestler, he worked for all of the major wrestling promotions, including the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

He held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship eight times, and was the first NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, which is now known as the WWE’s United States Championship. Race is one of six men inducted into each of the WWE Hall of Fame, the NWA 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. One day later, CWFH promoter Dave Marquez said he was diagnosed with lung cancer, but it was not terminal. On August 1, 2019, it was revealed by long time friend Dustin Rhodes that Race had died. He was 76 years of age.

Notable Feuds

vs. Ric Flair

vs. Terry Funk

w/ Larry Hennig vs. Dick the Brusier & The Crusher

vs. Verne Gagne

vs. Dory Funk

vs. Dusty Rhodes

vs. Pat Patterson

vs Angelo Poffo

vs. Junkyard Dog

vs. Hulk Hogan

vs. Jim Duggan

Other Notable Achievements

NWA United National Championship

PWF World Heavyweight Championship

NWA World Heavyweight Championship

Cauliflower Alley Club Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2006)

NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Central States version) (2 times) – with Baron von Raschke (1), Roger Kirby (1)

NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Roger Kirby (2), Bob Roop (1)

NWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version)

NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

IW North American Heavyweight Championship

NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship

NWA Macon Tag Team Championship – with Buddy Colt

Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2013

PWI Match of the Year (1973) vs. Dory Funk, Jr. on May 24

PWI Match of the Year (1979) vs. Dusty Rhodes on August 21

PWI Match of the Year (1983) vs. Ric Flair on June 10

PWI Stanley Weston Award (2006)

PWI Wrestler of the Year (1979)

PWI Wrestler of the Year (1983)

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Class of 2004

Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship

Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame

St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)

Tokyo Sports Match of the Year Award (1978) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta on January 20

IWA World Tag Team Championship – with Larry Hennig

WCW Hall of Fame (Class of 1994)

WWA World Heavyweight Championship

WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards: Wrestler of the Year (1980, 1981)

Match of the Year (1983) vs. Ric Flair at Starrcade

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)