Harley Race
Harley Leland Race ( born April 11, 1943 in Maryville, Missouri ) is a former American professional wrestler and current promoter and trainer. Race was active in his active career in all the major wrestling organizations in North America and Japan. He received eight times the world championship of wrestling umbrella organization National Wrestling Alliance, was taken up today in several Halls of Fame and is regarded as a legend in the wrestling business.
Career
Race grew up as the son of George and Mary Race with five siblings in Quitman, Missouri, and was already in his youth a wrestling fan. At the age of 15, he had to leave the school after he had a violent confrontation with the director. After dropping out of school, he worked on the farm of former wrestler Stanislaus Zbyszko Wladek and who taught him some basics. Race finally competed in promoter Gus Karras, who first hired him for his fair fights, which often ended in physical confrontations. Incidentally Race was as a chauffeur for the 350- pound wrestler Happy Humphrey and as referee worked and learned from Karras, and the wrestlers Buddy Austin and Ray Gordon further details of the wrestling craft.
After he had learned everything, Race went to Nashville, where he worked for the promoter Nick Gulas. Here he appeared as Jack Long and won with his supposed "brother" John Long, the Southern Tag Team titles. Unfortunately, Race injured in a car accident shortly after heavy, which nearly ended his career early.
In 1964 he was in Amarillo, in the league of radio - family his comeback. Here he formed with Larry Hennig, the father of Curt Hennig, a tag team. Together, they changed to the American Wrestling Association, where she worked in a feud with Crusher Lisowski program and Dick the Bruiser, in which they could get the local tag team title four times. She also received the IWA World Tag Team Title in Australia.
In the early 1970s Race decided to focus on a single career. After winning several regional titles, he was allowed to defeat Dory Funk Jr. on March 24, 1973, received the NWA World Heavyweight Title. However, he had four months later return it to Jack Brisco the title already. It took four years and nine other regional titles before he had risen to the figurehead of the NWA and in February 1977 was allowed to defeat a radio for the title again, this time Dorys brother Terry. He remained four years in the event for the title involved (of four short title loss to Dusty Rhodes, Giant Baba and Tommy Rich interrupted), then he lost the title in 1981, initially for a long time.
Two years later he was allowed to keep the title as part of a feud with Ric Flair, who brought this to the final leap to the world class twice before he was to leave him in March 1983 for the last time.
In 1986, Race in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment), which had replaced the NWA as a dominant league. This was from the " Blue Collar Champion" an arrogant king with Bobby Heenan at his side. Here was allowed to race win the annual King of the Ring tournament, but that was his only success. In 1989 he left plagued by injuries the WWF, wrestled again in Puerto Rico and ended his active career in 1991.
Later that year, he worked as a manager at World Championship Wrestling and accompanied here Lex Luger and Big Van Vader won such titles. After another car accident in 1994 race also finished this commitment and initially work no longer in mainstream wrestling.
Since 1999, he has his own wrestling school with affiliated league called World League Wrestling.
Achievements
Title
Tournaments
On 14 July 1986, the WWF held its second their King of the Ring tournament. It took place in front of 12,000 spectators at Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. This tournament could race after wins over George Steele, Billy Jack Haynes and former WWF Champion Pedro Morales to decide for themselves. The same was true for a tournament which in 1987 in honor of the legendary promoter Sam Muchnick was held. Here he defeated Brian Blair, the Junkyard Dog and Ricky Steamboat.
Halls of Fame
Race is member of the following Halls of Fame:
- WWE Hall of Fame
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, Schenectady NY
- World Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame
- RSPW Hall of Fame ( rec.sport.pro -wrestling )
- The Great Hisa 's Puroresu Hall of Fame
- The Ring Chronicle Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame
- AOL Grandstand Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
Wrestler of the Year
In the years 1979 and 1983 Race was at Pro Wrestling Illustrated of the wrestlers of the year in 1980 and 1981 in the Wrestling Observer.
Others
As Hulk Hogan III allegedly undefeated for 15 years, Andre the Giant defeated at WrestleMania with a Body Slam, claimed the WWF, this has never happened before. In fact, Harley Race had triumphed in a title defense on November 13, 1978 with a body slam.
Books by Harley Race
- Harley Race, Gerry Tritz: King of the Ring: The Harley Race Story. Sports Publishing 2004
- Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Les Thatcher: The Professional Wrestlers ' Workout & Instructional Guide. Sports Publishing 2005