Wrestling Legend Harley Race Dies at Age 76

Race, an eight-time NWA champion, dealt with numerous health issues in recent years.

Courtesy of WWE

Wrestling legend Harley Race, who starred in the NWA, AWA, WCW and WWF, died Thursday afternoon, his family announced. He was 76. 

Race began wrestling in 1960 and rose to stardom in the NWA in the 1970s, holding the promotion’s World Heavyweight Championship a total of eight times. He joined the WWF in 1986 and spent three years with the company, highlighted by a match at WrestleMania III against Junkyard Dog. Race also enjoyed a run with WCW and was inducted into WCW’s Hall of Fame in 1994. Race was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by fellow NWA icon Ric Flair in 2004. 

Today the world lost one of the toughest men ever to walk God's green earth.

RIP Harley Race!
8X NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.

The entire sport of professional wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Harley. pic.twitter.com/rEiHknbYn1

— NWA (@nwa) August 1, 2019

In addition to his work in the ring, Race also ran two of his own promotions and wrestling schools. His World League Wrestling promotion is scheduled to have a show this Saturday in Troy, Missouri. 

Race, who wrestled under his real name, dealt with numerous health issues in recent years. In 2017, he broke both of his legs in a fall at his Missouri home. Flair revealed in March that Race had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Race was hospitalized last month while traveling to make an appearance at an event in Tennessee and was released more than a week later.