6 NWA World Champions that never held the WWE title

#1 Harley Race

Harley Race with the NWA title won King of the Ring but never the WWE title

Behind Ric Flair, Harley Race is probably the most legendary NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Race sits two reigns behind Flair, with 8 World Heavyweight titles. Race dominated the title, in the late 70s, with long reigns with the title between 1970 to 1981. Race's last NWA title reign came in 1984 in New Zealand. Race only held the title for a few days before losing it back to Flair at Starrcade as a way of passing the torch.

In 1986, Harley Race made his WWF debut alongside Bobby "the Brain" Heenan and won the King of the Ring in his debut year. As the King, Race would make his opponents bow after they lost against Race. At his first WrestleMania, Race defeated the Junkyard Dog. In 1987, Race had a series of WWF World Heavyweight title matches against Hulk Hogan but failed to win the title.

After three years in WWF, Race returned to WCW but predominantly appeared as a manager as he wound down his in-ring career. Race would manage Lex Luger and Big Van Vader to WCW World Heavyweight Championships. Race was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994, WWF Hall of Fame in 2004, and the NWA Hall of Fame in 2005.