Harley Race was legitimately one of the toughest professional wrestlers to grace the squared circle, and his reputation preceded him. But what was he like behind the scenes? The following 15 lesser-known stories reveal the depth of his character, his tenacity, and the legacy he left behind.
Harley Race, seen here proudly representing the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, was a tough-as-nails wrestler known for his intimidating fighting prowess in and out of the ring.
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan alongside Harley Race after victory. Photo Credit: WWE.
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan once said, "The only two men in the world that Andre the Giant feared were Meng and Harley Race." They don’t make them like him anymore. But what was he like behind the scenes?
2. Harley Race Reflects on His Storied Wrestling Career
Harley Race, the legendary former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, had many untold facets of his life. Photo Credit: WWE.
Harley Race once said, “I started in this business when I was 15 years old. I was one of the most fortunate people on Earth to do exactly what I loved to do all my life.”
“My whole thing, in all the years I wrestled, was to entertain the people who had paid to see it, as much as my mind and body would allow me to do, to be as good as I could be at doing that. That’s what I tried to do my whole career.”
3. Julie Hart’s Experience with Harley Race’s Unmatched Strength
A young Harley Race, fists clenched and title belt on, ready for battle. Julie Hart, former wife of Bret Hart, once said his handshake was strong enough to break your hand! Photo Credit: NWA.
The ex-wife of Bret “The Hitman” Hart, Julie met just about everyone in the wrestling business in the ’80s and ’90s. One of the wrestlers who stood out to her the most was Harley Race. Here is what she had to say about him in an interview with Kayfabe Kickout.
"Nobody likes to shake Harley’s hand because he’s got the strongest tendons ever known to anyone.
"He could break your hand with just his handshake. Everyone always shook his hand really gently and not the whole hand.”
4. Harley Race’s Fearless Winter Driving Story
Harley Race with announcer Tony Schiavone. Photo Credit: WWE.
"We had a dinner party when the WWE was in town a few years ago,” Julie, the ex-wife of Bret “The Hitman” Hart, remembered, “and Harley came for dinner. We ran out of ice, and Harley drove my sister Michelle and I to the store. It was winter, and Michelle had a Bronco, and it was really icy.
"Harley just slapped into 4-wheel drive, and he was like, ‘I’m going to show you how to drive…’
"Oh my God, what a ride! It was the scariest 5 minutes of my life.
"We get back in the house; the ice seemed like one big block. I swear to god, Harley goes, ‘Give me that sweetheart…’
"He grabs the bag, and he punches it, and it shatters. Harley just smashed the whole bag of ice with this one little punch…"
5. Harley Race vs. Andre the Giant: The Slam Before Hulk Hogan
Newspaper clipping capturing Harley Race body-slamming Andre the Giant, debunking the myth that Hulk Hogan was the first to do it. Photo Credit: Houston Chronicle.
"I had him fully above my head – Hogan got him about chest high. Hogan claimed to get hurt after performing the famous slam – I didn’t.
“I got him in the position and brought his head full through all in the same motion. It’s when those pauses come in, and that weight is allowed to come straight on you, that you get hurt."
6. Bob Backlund on the Wisdom and Strength of Harley Race
Bob Backlund, Vince McMahon Sr. and Harley Race backstage at a WWWF event. Photo Credit: WWE.
"Harley Race was one of the best performers in the business, and I respected him a lot. He was a great mentor for me, and I learned a lot from him.
"Before I actually came to the WWF, I beat Harley Race for the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship, and that was a catalyst for me as far as getting ahead in the business.
"When I then won the WWWF Championship, Harley Race was the NWA champion at the same time, and we a 60-minute title v title match which ended in a draw, but that was a great match."
7. The Time Harley Race Humbled Hulk Hogan
Harley Race pounding Hulk Hogan in the ring. Photo Credit: WWE.
In a past New York Post article, wrestling historian David Shoemaker shares of the time Harley Race pulled a firearm on Hulk Hogan:
"In the mid-’80s, Vince McMahon’s WWF went national, threatening the status quo of the wrestling world. Until then, numerous promotions were set up across the country, operating independently under the banner of the NWA.
"So, when McMahon started airing national WWF shows and touring his troupe into the cities normally controlled by these territorial groups, the old guard was none too happy. It wasn’t till they toured into the longtime NWA stronghold of Kansas City, though, that the enmity reached a boiling point.
"Supposedly, Hulk Hogan was in the dressing room when a local wrestler named Harley Race stormed in.
“Race walked up to a seated Hogan and punched him, knocking him to the floor.
“When Hogan sheepishly said that he was surprised Harley wasn’t carrying a firearm, Race reached into this jacket and pulled out a .38 Special.
"Nobody got shot, but Race had made his point. Hogan later claimed that Race actually tried to burn down the WWF ring, though Race denies it.
“Like most other regional promoters, Race lost a lot of money when the WWF took over, and to make back the money he lost. He ended up going to work for McMahon just a couple of years after the incident."
8. Bret Hart Recalls Harley Race’s Unforgettable Encounter with Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan and Harley Race square off in the ring, their intense rivalry extending far beyond the ropes. Photo Credit: WWE.
"The rumor had gone ’round that Harley Race was threatening to show up with a shotgun when the WWF came to town because the Missouri territory was his, and everyone, especially Hogan, was anxious about it.
Harley simply walked into the dressing room and held his finger up to his lips, signaling everyone to be quiet as he snuck up behind Hogan and then slapped him as hard as he could on the short ribs.
"Hogan turned around wincing, and seeing Harley; he turned white as a ghost. Hogan had to be thinking, Oh my God, now what the heck do I do? Then Harley smirked, extending his hand in friendship, and Hogan seemed more than a little relieved.”
9. Honky Tonk Man Learns a Tough Lesson from Harley Race
Honky Tonk Man once made the mistake of joking about Harley Race’s toughness! Photo Credit: WWE.
Another story shared in Bret Hart’s book was the time Honky Tonk Man made a mistake he soon regretted.
"Harley Race ended up in emergency surgery having a foot and a half of his intestine removed. And then he got served with divorce papers.
"Honky Tonk Man made a big mistake when he joked in the dressing room that Harley didn’t have any guts anymore. Honky was one of those wrestlers who never had an ounce of real hardness in him.
“When one of the least tough disrespected a legendary tough guy like Harley, several of us took exception, and Dynamite got up and backhanded Honky right off his chair. Honky wept like a baby after that, pleading for forgiveness."
10. Gary Michael Cappetta on Harley Race’s Legendary Hospitality
From left to right: Steven Regal, Vader, Bill Dundee, Steve Austin, Gary Michael Cappetta, Harley Race, and a close friend of Harley Race’s. Photo Credit: Gary Michael Cappetta.
"Kansas City was always a great place to visit thanks to the hospitality of former NWA World Champion Harley Race and his wife, BJ. Their place was a home away from home for barbecues and games of pool."
11. How Harley Race Got His Revenge on Owen Hart
King Harley Race, known for his toughness both in and out of the ring, once got his "royal revenge" on Owen Hart. Photo Credit: WWE.
In another story from his book, Bret Hart shared the funny story of how Harley Race gave Owen Hart a “receipt” for a past rib pulled on him.
"Owen initially pranked Race by replacing a bottle of BBQ sauce with a bottle of the hottest of hot sauces at one of Harley’s legendary barbecues.
"In reprisal, King Harley probably went a step too far when he tasered Hart backstage at a subsequent Raw.
"It was obviously meant to be the classic handshake prank where the prankster has a buzzer concealed in his palm to give his victim a small shock, but instead of a buzzer, Race had a taser of sorts.
"Owen dropped to the floor and was knocked unconscious."
12. Bret Hart on How Harley Race Took Him Under His Wing
Bret Hart shared how Harley Race took him under his wing early in his career. Photo Credit: NWA.
In his autobiography, Bret Hart opened up about being taken under the wing of Harley Race.
"When Harley Race came to Atlanta to defend the NWA World Heavyweight title, he took me under his wing, insisting I ride with him. He always bought me a few beers for the drive, and he never let me pay for meals.
“Buzz couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw me riding with the World Champion, and after that, I was treated well by everyone."
13. Dr. Tom Prichard on Harley Race and Wrestling’s Long History of Screw Jobs
Newspaper clipping of the Russian Chain Match between “The Lawman” Don Slatton and Harley Race. Photo Credit: NWA.
On his website, Dr. Tom Prichard opened up about his friend Harley Race and wrestling’s long history of screwjobs. Prichard wrote:
"Harley Race was a tough guy. No doubt about that in my eyes. I thought all wrestlers had to be tough just to deal with the lifestyle.
"I had the pleasure of spending a few days at Harley’s house outside of Eldon, Mo, during a camp with Les Thatcher years ago.
“Harley and wife BJ, along with Les and his wife Alice and I, went out on the lake and had a great time. We were telling stories, and I got to ask Harley about many legendary stories and folklore throughout the years.”
14. Trouble With “The Lawman” Don Slaton – Harley Race Stops a Title Theft Attempt
“The Lawman” Don Slatton. Photo Credit: NWA.
"One story I wanted to ask about was the time the Lawman Don Slatton tried to steal the world championship in Abilene,” Dr. Tom Prichard continued.
“Slatton was the promoter as well as a legend in West Texas.
He booked a Russian Chain Match as the main event for the World Heavyweight championship between himself and the champion, Harley Race.
"In the days before WWE being the dominant organization, the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) boasted of having the longest lineage to the real world championship.
Prior to the match against Slatton, Harley got a call from then-president Bob Giegel telling him to watch his back because the Lawman was looking to steal the title!”
15. Harley Race: Wrestling’s Toughest Man Remembered
Harley Race as the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. Photo Credit: NWA.
Dr. Tom Prichard continued, "Harley assured Giegel that no such thing would ever take place, much less attempted.
"Both men were to be chained together at the wrist by a 10-foot chain. The only way to win is to drag your opponent around the ring and touch all four corners in succession. This was the Lawman’s specialty match and had never lost one! No problem.
“They would do something where the champ squeezed by. But it was the wild, wild west in those days, and sure enough, Don Slatton tried to pull a fast one by saying he simply ‘forgot’ what was supposed to happen.
"When the time came for the finish to take place, Slatton ‘slipped,’ and it looked as though he touched all four corners, therefore winning the match and the world title.
“Harley wasn’t that stupid, and even though Slatton had immediately taken the chain off his wrist and gone back to the dressing room, Harley went through the crowd, kicked in the door and drug Don Slatton through the people, and threw him back in the ring.
He then proceeded to wrap the chain around him and touched all four corners, so there was no doubt in anyone’s mind who was the world champion.
"Harley Race is one of many professional wrestlers I admired through the years. He convinced me and many others that he was one of the "toughest men on God’s green earth!"
“Screw jobs were around long before Montreal. Even in this day and age, you never know what’s going to happen. Everybody thinks they’re smart and knows what’s happening."
Harley Race’s Final Chapter: A Legacy Remembered
King Harley Race, a wrestling legend whose toughness and legacy will forever be remembered. Photo Credit: WWE.
Harley Race’s legacy in professional wrestling is one of unparalleled toughness and an iron will that few could match. His death on August 1st, 2019, marked the loss of a true icon, but his influence on the wrestling world remains as strong as ever.
Known for his legendary resilience both inside and outside the ring, Harley Race was a champion who connected deeply with fans through his stories and matches, earning a loyal following that continues to honor him today.
In memory of Harley Race, we honor not only the champion he was in the ring but also the unyielding determination that defined his life. His legacy of courage and strength will forever be engraved in the history of wrestling.
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Matt Pender is an old-school wrestling fan who currently lives in New Zealand. He is also a musical performer with his band OdESSA who can be investigated at the link above.
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