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Harley Race, legendary Missouri-born professional wrestler, dead

Harley Race, legendary Missouri-born professional wrestler, dead

Posted: Aug 3rd 2019 By: Kevin S. Held

Harley Race, the tough-talking, Missouri-born professional wrestler who rose to national prominence over three-plus decades, has passed away. He was 76. His official Twitter account says, “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.”

Race was born to sharecropper parents in the small town of Quitman in northwest Missouri in April 1943. As a pro wrestler, he’d be billed from Kansas City.

He began training as a teenager and started his career in the early 1960s and married his sweetheart Vivian Jones at age 18. Unfortunately, they were involved in a severe car accident one month after the wedding. Jones, who was pregnant at the time, died the crash. Race nearly had his leg amputated as a result and was told he’d likely never walk again.

After several months of physical therapy and recovery, Race returned to ring, traveling across the country and honing his craft wrestling for the famed Funk family in Texas and Verne Gagne’s AWA promotion. He’d achieve his greatest popularity competing in the National Wrestling Alliance, feuding with fellow wrestling luminaries like the Funk brothers (Terry and Dory Jr.), Dusty Rhodes, and “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

Race won his first NWA World Title in May 1973 in Kansas City, Kansas. Race main-evented the inaugural Starrcade event in November 1983, losing the title to Flair in a steel cage match.

Race worked for WWE (then known as the World Wrestling Federation) in the mid-to-late 1980s.

He suffered a shoulder injury during a match in December 1990 that led to him leaving the ring as an active competitor. He transitioned to the role of manager and had success.

In January 1995, Race was involved in a car accident that kept him away from wrestling for years.

With his in-ring career finished, Race founded World League Wrestling in 1999 near his home in Eldon. The promotion also served as a training school for would-be professional wrestlers and other independent performers from across the region. At present, WLW runs shows in Troy, Missouri.

Race was hospitalized in May 2017 after breaking both legs following a fall at his home.

Post-career, Race was inducted into several halls of fame for his achievements: the WCW Hall of Fame (1994), the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (1996), the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum (2004 as a singles wrestler and 2017 as a tag team with Larry Hennig), the WWE Hall of Fame (2004), the NWA Hall of Fame (2005), the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame (2007), and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2013).

 

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  • 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Title
  • 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Title
  • 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Title

Week of Sun 04-26 to Sat: 05-02

  • 04-26 2008 Jerry Bostic def. Joshua Smith for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 04-26 2008 Shane Rawls def. Ky-Ote for the 3DW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-26 2014 Buster Cherry def. Bud Barnes for the SWCW All-American Title
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  • 04-27 1978 The Assassin became the TSW Louisiana Champion
  • 04-27 1981 Junkyard Dog & Dick Murdoch def. The Grappler & The Super Destroyer for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 04-27 2003 The Sharpe Brothers (Chaz Sharpe & Rich Sharpe) def. John O'Malley & All-American Aaron for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 04-27 2003 Se7en def. Aaron Neil for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 04-27 2008 Tyrone def. Jerry Bostic for the 3DW Violent Division Title
  • 04-27 2019 Brandon Groom def. Brian Dixon for the BPW Lion Heart Title
  • 04-27 2019 Doc Black became the BCW Heritage Rivalry Champion
  • 04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Title
  • 04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
  • 04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Titles
  • 04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Title
  • 04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
  • 04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Title
  • 04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
  • 04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Title
  • 04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Title
  • 04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Titles
  • 04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 04-29 2006 Carnage def. Rexx Reed for the ACW Hardcore Title
  • 04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
  • 04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
  • 04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Titles
  • 04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Title
  • 04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
  • 04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
  • 04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 1971 Toru Tanaka def. Johnny Valentine for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Title
  • 04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Title
  • 04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Title
  • 04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
  • 04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Title
  • 04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Title
  • 04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
  • 05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Title
  • 05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Title
  • 05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Title
  • 05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
  • 05-02 1975 Mad Dog Vachon def. Billy Graham for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
  • 05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Title
  • 05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
  • 05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
  • 05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Title
  • 05-02 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
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  • 05-02 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Title
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