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On 1st of August 2019, the wrestling world united to mourn the passing of a legend, Harley Race. During his prime, he was considered by many, both critics and fellow wrestlers, to be one of the greatest wrestling minds of his generation. Considering the fact that Harley Race wrestled in the same era as Dory Funk Jr, Bruno Sammartino, Dustin Rhodes and Don Muraco, this is really high praise.
Most casual wrestling fans know him because of his “King of the Ring” gimmick, but contrary to popular belief, Race was the second wrestler to win the tournament, not the first (The first King of the Ring, Don Muraco, will make an appearance on this list).
However, he used his victory in the tournament to propel himself to greater success in the WWE (at the time known as the WWF). However, Harley Race was more than just a gimmick. He was a ring technician who could look good in both victory and defeat. According to his one-time tag team partner Vader, Harley Race had mastered the art of telling a story in the ring using his body.
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In this article, we will take a look at Harley Race’s career and discuss five of his most iconic matches.
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#5 Harley Race vs. Don Muraco - 1974
Before Harley Race and Don Muraco were household names in the WWF, they wrestled for a Florida based wrestling promotion known as Championship Wrestling from Florida. Don Muraco joined the company in 1974, and one of his first matches was against Harley Race.
At the time, Harley Race was a former NWA World Champion and most people expected that he would win decisively against the rookie Don Muraco as he had won in his previous matches. What people didn’t expect was how good Harley Race would make Muraco look during the match. At some points during the match, fans believed that Muraco would win in an upset victory over the former champion.
According to veteran wrestling journalist, Dave Meltzer, this match went a long way in establishing Don Muraco as a credible competitor in the eyes of the fans. The two men would go on to have more amazing matches against each other but for most people, this is the match that stands out.
#4 Harley Race vs. Jumbo Tsuruta - 1978
During his long career, Harley Race traveled extensively, showcasing his abilities in front of people from all over the world. Some of his best matches happened in Japan against the likes of Abdullah the Butcher, Giant Baba, and Dustin Rhodes while they were working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW).
One of Harley’s greatest Japanese rivals was Jumbo Tsuruta, who is famous for becoming the first Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion in history by unifying three of the most well-known titles of the era.
During Harley Race’s stint in AJPW, the two men had several breathtaking matches including a two out of three falls match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at the Setagaya Ward Gymnasium in 1977. The match was critically acclaimed and most people did not think that they could top it.
In 1978, they proved everyone wrong by having the match of the year according to Tokyo Sports. The match showcased their great in-ring chemistry and allowed each man to shine. The two men would go on to have more matches against each other but none could top their 1978 classic.
In his Twitter Tribute to Race, Davey Boy Smith Jr said that this was his favorite Harley Race match.
#3 Harley Race vs. Dusty Rhodes - 1979
During their long careers, Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes fought each other on multiple occasions. Their feud transcended continents and promotions as they would have awesome matches in North America and Asia. The rivalry between the two men usually centered around the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and in 1979 on August 21st, it culminated in a 5-star classic.
The match was a grueling affair as it lasted 20 minutes and the two men used all the tools in their arsenal to try and defeat the opponent. One of the highlights of the match was when Harley delivered a piledriver on Dusty but Dusty kicked out. A few minutes later Dusty delivered his own piledriver but Harley managed to kick out in the nick of time.
This match was important to Dusty as he had promised himself and his fans that he would win the NWA World Title on that night. Dusty kept his promise and after a devastating elbow drop, he pinned Race to win the title. Immediately Dusty won he was mobbed by fellow wrestlers such as Jack and Gerald Brisco, who were former NWA Champions.
This was the perfect instance of Harley Race looking good in defeat and Pro Wrestling Illustrated agreed naming it the 1979 Match of the Year.
#2 Harley Race vs. Ric Flair - 1983
Harley Race and Ric Flair are two of the greatest wrestlers of all time and their 1983 match at the first-ever Starrcade will go down in history as one of the greatest matches of all time. The buildup of the match began on June 10th, 1983 when Harley Race beat Ric Flair to become a 7-time World Champion.
After winning the title, Race was reluctant to face Flair again as he was afraid he would lose his title. Race’s fear made him put a $25,000 bounty on Ric Flair. Dick Slater and Cowboy Bob Orton and Dick Slater decided to take advantage of the bounty and attacked Ric Flair, hitting him with an aided piledriver that reportedly injured Flair’s neck.
After the attack, Orton and Slater collected their bounty while Flair announced his retirement. For a while, Harley Race thought that his biggest challenger had been neutralized but Flair reappeared on September 21 and he took out Orton and Slater. The feud culminated at Starrcade where Harley and Flair fought in a Steel Cage match.
The match was an instant classic and it cemented the place of Ric Flair as the flag bearer of the next generation of wrestlers. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Pro Wrestling Illustrated awarded this match Match of the Year 1983.
#1 Harley Race vs. Dory Funk Jr - 1973
Few things are as challenging as trying to choose the most iconic match in Harley Race’s career. Everyone has their own opinion and it would be impossible to find a match that satisfies everyone. However, I believe that I have found a match that could satisfy most of his fans.
Harley Race vs. Dory Funk Jr for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on 24th May 1973. This was the night when Harley Race won his first World Championship in a stunning upset that went a long way in establishing Race as a legitimate champion.
One of the greatest moments of the match was when Harley Race used the ropes to avoid getting pinned after Dory Funk had delivered the butterfly suplex. Dory looked shocked and the crowd couldn’t believe their eyes. After this Harley managed to reverse a side headlock into a back body drop but he missed a diving head butt and it seemed that he had lost all his momentum.
Harley managed to persevere and when Dory was complaining to the referee, Harley took advantage and hit a vertical suplex. After that the rest was history and Harley went on to become a household name among fans of the NWA.
