Never one to rest on his laurels, the would-be champion learned new skills in the ring and also learned about the sport’s day-to-day operations, becoming a booker and later investing in the promotion, Heart of America Wrestling. In the early 1970’s Race shifted his attention to wrestling’s top prize-the world heavyweight championship. “Handsome” Harley’s work caught the eye of Japanese promoters who invited him to wrestle for him, a rare honor for Americans. The roughhouse duo won AWA Tag Team Titles several times, feuding with popular AWA stars including the Crusher, Dick the Bruiser, and Verne Gagne. The gutsy grappler worked in several territories before settling in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he formed a lengthy tag team partnership with Larry Hennig. Nonetheless, Race was told he’d be lucky if he ever walked again, let alone wrestle.įor the next two years, Race endured a painful rehabilitation process that paid off and he returned to the squared circle. Harley’s friend and promoter, Gus Karras sent Race to a bone specialist and the leg was saved. A horrific car crash killed Race’s pregnant wife and Race himself was so severely injured that medical personnel told him one of his legs had to be amputated. However, like fellow legend Ric Flair, an accident nearly ended both Race’s career and his life. Race continued honing his skills until it seemed the world was his for the taking. These encounters taught Race how to defend himself in just about every conceivable situation in the ring, a talent Race sometimes relied on when fans jumped into the ring or attacked him on his way in or out of the ring. This meant Race could face anyone from an ornery farmer to the local barroom brawler looking to get their hands on the prize money. As easy as this gig seemed, it didn’t always go according to plan and sometimes a real contestant made it to the ring before the plant. Later on, he would graduate to being the wrestler who took on the plant in the audience. Race started off by posing as an ordinary Joe who would take up the wrestler’s challenge. During the shows, a wrestler would challenge someone from the audience, offering a cash prize to anyone who could beat him. These carnivals required tough performers because a wrestler never knew who was going to step into the ring. Race worked these carnivals, further learning the trade and how to protect himself in the ring. Zbyszko took Race under his wing and taught him the basics before Harley met promoter Gus Karras, who operated wrestling shows at carnivals. Race worked as a farm hand and in an amazing instance of happenstance, the farm was owned by Stanislaus Zbyszko, a legendary wrestler from the early 20 th century. Given the option to apologize and return, Race opted to leave school and devoted his free time to fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. At 15, Race was expelled from school for punching out his principal. Missouri native Harley Race was never one to let someone tell him what to do, defying authority throughout his life. Race battled adversity numerous times in his life, stared down death more than once, and was the last of the wrestling world’s shooters, a champion who could defend the belt for real should his opponent try and pull a double-cross. Harley Race, a familiar face to wrestling fans for decades, an icon in the wrestling world, a record-setting National Wrestling Heavyweight Champion, and one of the toughest and most respected figures in professional wrestling. Wrestling legend Harley Race, dead at 76.
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