Farewell To The King

The third of my five favorite wrestlers is gone. Joining Mr. Rhodes and Mr. Piper is Harley Race. It was not unexpected, as news of various ailments plaguing the former King of the Ring have been discussed for years. Still, Race did not let his health hinder him. The wrestling legend was en route to a convention appearance when he entered the hospital for a stay that would ultimately be his last. I, myself, just saw "The King" last fall at a northeast appearance.

Though he had the same gruff exterior that served him so well during his in-ring career, you could not find a nicer star to meet with the fans. Always accommodating to those who wanted to meet him, he had the same aura that men like Bruno Sammartino and Dusty Rhodes had. You just knew that you were in the presence of someone special who deserved your respect. And while you certainly came away with a great feeling, you knew that even as he advanced in age, Harley was no one to be messed with.

The photo accompanying this blog entry, which has been seen here before, is from the fabled appearance where Harley got into a scuffle with his former charge Big Van Vader. I was not in the room at the time, but the two were said to have had a disagreement about how Vader was treating fans. As the story goes, Harley, who was using a motorized chair to get around due to a surgery, put the "Mastodon" in his place. With all of the wrestlers who have told the cameras how feared Harley was among "the boys," is this any surprise?

Harley Race was one of the few wrestlers who truly put a bit of fear in me as a child. The only other one who springs to mind is Kamala. While the latter was due to his appearance, Race was thanks to that gravelly voice. If the phrase "he sounds like he gargled with nails" ever needed an audio example, you could play a clip of Harley. "Take the damn money!"

My first exposure to Race was in his days as "The King" in the WWF. While this was near the end of his career, I always felt it was a fantastic way for him to be part of that era. He had some fun matches and took on a persona that still fit with the serious Race of years earlier. If you've never seen it, check out the "King's Crown" match from the 1989 Royal Rumble. Famously left off of the Coliseum Video version, it's an fun little match between two of wrestling's most notoriously toughest men. The antics of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan just put the icing on the cake, as they usually did.

 And not just because this is the wrestling memorabilia blog, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention all of the great merchandising featuring Harley. There isn't a bad Harley Race figure, and he happens to be the subject of what is probably my favorite LJN WWF figure. I always felt that it was the perfect amalgamation between "Handsome" and "King" Harley Race. I've forever wondered if the figure was planned before he won the King of the Ring and that the jacket was then later adapted to represent the cape. He also had some of the coolest magazine covers, more often than not featuring blood, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, or both. For a wrestler who's prime was before much merchandising, he certainly has more than his share which can still be collected to remember the legend.

It was an honor getting to meet Mr. Race many times and even discussing some of the above memorabilia with him. Of my five favorite wrestlers, he's the one name that some casual fans don't know. That never bothered me nor should it bother any of his fans. The others are known because they went outside of the proverbial wrestling box to gain mainstream attention. Harley didn't do that, as he simply claimed to be "the greatest WRESTLER on God's green earth." I wouldn't argue him for a second.

Harley Race

1943-2019