History Wrestling / HarleyRace

[[quoteright:202:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/harleyrace_78.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:202:During one of his eight reigns as [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h.html NWA World Heavyweight Champion]]]]

* [[FanNickname Detractor Nickname]]: In-universe example; The Crusher would call Harley Race and Larry "The Ax" Hennig "The Dolly Sisters", due to their then-fairly pretty looks, especially by 1960's standards.

Harley Leland Race (April 11, 1943 - August 1, 2019) was an American {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er, promoter, and trainer best known for his 8 reigns as NWA World Heavyweight Champion during the 1970s and 1980s. He started in Missouri as a teenager before moving to Memphis and wrestling under the name '''Jack Long''' and teaming with his [[UnrelatedBrothers "brother"]] John Long. Over time, he competed for, obviously, many Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories, for the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation, for Stampede Wrestling, and for Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, before he started winding down his career in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the late 1980s. He retired from active competition in 1991 and became a manager in Wrestling/{{WCW}}, most famously for Wrestling/LexLuger, and, especially, [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]]. He was also the promoter of World League Wrestling in Missouri. He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 2004. He is also on the list of wrestlers who had slammed Wrestling/AndreTheGiant prior to Wrestling/HulkHogan doing it at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} III''. He passed away at age 76 from lung cancer.

* [[AwesomeMcCoolName Awesome [=McCool=] Name]]: It's his real name, too.

Harley Leland Race (born April 11, 1943 in Quitman, MO, died August 1, 2019) is a retired American {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and current promoter and trainer best known for his 8 reigns as NWA World Heavyweight Champion during the 1970s and 1980s. He started in Missouri as a teenager before moving to Memphis and wrestling under the name '''Jack Long''' and teaming with his [[UnrelatedBrothers "brother"]] John Long. Over time, he competed for, obviously, many Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories, for the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation, for Stampede Wrestling, and for Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, before he started winding down his career in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the late 1980s. He retired from active competition in 1991 and became a manager in Wrestling/{{WCW}}, most famously for Wrestling/LexLuger, and, especially, [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]]. He is also the promoter of World League Wrestling in Missouri. He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 2004. He is also on the list of wrestlers who had slammed Wrestling/AndreTheGiant prior to Wrestling/HulkHogan doing it at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} III''. He passed away at age 76 from lung cancer.

Harley Leland Race (born April 11, 1943 in Quitman, MO) is a retired American {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and current promoter and trainer best known for his 8 reigns as NWA World Heavyweight Champion during the 1970s and 1980s. He started in Missouri as a teenager before moving to Memphis and wrestling under the name '''Jack Long''' and teaming with his [[UnrelatedBrothers "brother"]] John Long. Over time, he competed for, obviously, many Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories, for the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation, for Stampede Wrestling, and for Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, before he started winding down his career in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the late 1980s. He retired from active competition in 1991 and became a manager in Wrestling/{{WCW}}, most famously for Wrestling/LexLuger, and, especially, [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]]. He is also the promoter of World League Wrestling in Missouri. He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 2004. He is also on the list of wrestlers who had slammed Wrestling/AndreTheGiant prior to Wrestling/HulkHogan doing it at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} III''.

'''Harley Race''' (b. 1943 in Quitman, MO) is a retired American {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and current promoter and trainer best known for his 8 reigns as NWA World Heavyweight Champion during the 1970s and 1980s. He started in Missouri as a teenager before moving to Memphis and wrestling under the name '''Jack Long''' and teaming with his [[UnrelatedBrothers "brother"]] John Long. Over time, he competed for, obviously, many Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories, for the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation, for Stampede Wrestling, and for Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, before he started winding down his career in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the late 1980s. He retired from active competition in 1991 and became a manager in Wrestling/{{WCW}}, most famously for Wrestling/LexLuger, and, especially, [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]]. He is also the promoter of World League Wrestling in Missouri. He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 2004. He is also on the list of wrestlers who had slammed Wrestling/AndreTheGiant prior to Wrestling/HulkHogan doing it at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} III''.

* RealSongThemeTune: (as "The King" in WWE): Modest [=Mussorgsky=]'s "The Bogatyr Gates (in the Capital in Kiev)" (from his famous piano suite ''Pictures At An Exhibition''. It's the same music [[Wrestling/{{Meng}} Haku]] used during his run as the "King of the WWF" and that [[Wrestling/JerryLawler Jerry "The King" Lawler]] has used his whole time in WWE.

'''Harley Race''' (b. 1943 in Quitman, MO) is a retired American {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and current promoter and trainer best known for his 8 reigns as NWA World Heavyweight Champion during the 1970s and 1980s. He started in Missouri as a teenager before moving to Memphis and wrestling under the name '''Jack Long''' and teaming with his [[UnrelatedBrothers "brother"]] John Long. Over time, he competed for, obviously, many Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance territories, for the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation, for Stampede Wrestling, and for Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, before he started winding down his career in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the late 1980s. He retired from active competition in 1991 and became a manager in Wrestling/{{WCW}}, most famously for Wrestling/LexLuger, and, especially, [[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]]. He is also the promoter of World League Wrestling in Missouri. He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004. He is also on the list of wrestlers who had slammed Wrestling/AndreTheGiant prior to Wrestling/HulkHogan doing it at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} III''.

* {{Badass}}: In his prime, he was one of the toughest men in wrestling ''ever''. Wrestling/AndreTheGiant was said to have been afraid of Harley.

* TheDreaded: He can get guys like Wrestling/BruiserBrody and Wrestling/StanHansen, who were infamously known to use a stiff style of wrestling to ease up and sell his offense by threatening to shoot on them.

* {{Badass}}: Probably one of the top five legitly toughest guys in the history of the business. One of only two people Wrestling/AndreTheGiant was afraid of, the other being Wrestling/{{Meng}}.

* BlondeGuysAreEvil: His stint as "The King" Harley Race in WWF, and his time as Vader's manager in WCW.

!!! "Handsome Tropes":

* {{Badass}}: Probably one of the top five legitly toughest guys in the history of the business. One of only two people Wrestling/AndreTheGiant was afraid of, the other being Wrestling/{{Meng}}. He is also one of the few people that Wrestling/BruiserBrody would sell for.

* CoolTeacher:Some of the wrestlers who have trained under him are Wrestling/RichieSteamboat, Curtis Axel and [[Wrestling/TedDiBiaseJr Ted DiBiase Jr.]]

** [[UseYourHead Diving Headbutt]]- He innovated this, though he later said that he wished he hadn't due to the physical toll it took on other wrestlers who adopted it.

* {{Badass}}: Probably one of the top five legitly toughest guys in the history of the business. One of only two people Andre the Giant was afraid of, the other being Meng. He is also one of the few people that Wrestling/BruiserBrody would sell for.

* {{Badass}}: Probably one of the top five legitly toughest guys in the history of the business. One of only two people Andre the Giant was afraid of, the other being Meng.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: Like sixty five MPH in a thirty five swerving around police crazy. It's also the basis for one of Manny Fernandez's stories on how the two escaped Puerto Rico, though it most likely did not actually happen.

* {{Determinator}}: Early in his career, he was in a car accident that killed his wife, and resulted in the near amputation of his leg. After his leg was saved, he was told that he might never walk again. The rest of the story tells itself.

** During his stint as Vader's manager, there is a story about Race using a stun gun on a naked Vader to get him to hurry his ass out of the shower so they could hit the road. Even for a man Vaders size, getting tazered while naked and wet must have hurt quite a bit.

* [[FanNickname Detractor Nickname]]: In-universe example; The Crusher would call Harley Race and Larry "The Ax" Hennig "The Dolly Sisters."

** [[UseYourHead Diving Headbutt]]- He innovated this, though he later said that he wished he hadn't.

* CoolTeacherSome of the wrestlers who have trained under him are Wrestling/RichieSteamboat, Curtis Axel and [[Wrestling/TedDiBiaseJr Ted DiBiase Jr.]]

* StunGuns: Used one to keep Cactus Jack down for a 10-count in his Texas Death Match against Vader at ''WCW Halloween Havoc 93''.
** During his stint as Vaders manager, there is a story about Race using a stun gun on a naked Vader to get him to hurry his ass out of the shower so they could hit the road. Even for a man Vaders size, getting tazered while naked and wet must have hurt quite a bit.

* RetiredBadass: Needed a cane just to stand by 2014 in Wrestling/ProWrestlingNoah, but there was a reason they had him announce his seal of approval prior to putting on their GHC Championship matches.