Harley Race passes away

[Big Boss Man]

RIP Harley

[Bandit]

He was one of the most believable wrestlers ever. You could just look at his face and tell he'd kill you with his bare hands if you pissed him off. Like "wrestling might be fake, but Harley Race would kick your ass for real." I think Brock is the only wrestler today like that. He was also one of the best ever in the 70s.

[Big Boss Man]

Yea definitely, Harley came across as a legit tough guy and had that believability factor.

[Bandit]

Kevin Nash's stories were great. Harley would speed like crazy every time he drove. And he'd be drinking beers the whole time. Then when he'd be pulled over he'd talk to the police with such authority they just let him go because they thought he must be someone important if he'd talk down to a cop like that.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

RIP Harley

[Ocelot]

Goddamnit fuck.

One of the five best ever. A titan.

Choking up at this. RIP Harley.

I'm getting sloshed this weekend now.

[handwrittenhysteria]

A proper man's man and tougher than tough. The world 'legend' gets thrown around too much these days but he's the personification of it

[Big Boss Man]

From yesterday's update on the Observer site

There is so much to say about him. The NWA did a nice video of Nick Aldis talking about him and I'm sure there will be many others. Race epitomized blue collar pro wrestling, just a tough guy who did believable interviews and was a master performer inside the ring. An ironic part about Race is some modern fans who hear old-timers complain about using too many finishers and them not being finishes, nobody did that move than Race. It was always funny that he'd use every finishing of the 70s even in his TV squash matches, including piledrivers, and then job guy would kick out of all of them until he'd win with his delayed vertical suplex. A few people grumbled about it then, but not many. And in title matches, he did it even more. He was exceptional at the art of beating someone while elevating them at the same time. When he'd face the upcoming athletic young babyface as champion, he'd win at the end, but give them so much offense against the world champion that people left with the idea that in a few years that guy was going to be something. When Don Muraco first came to Florida in 1974, I can recall he and Race having a classic where Muraco came within a hair of beating Race, who was not the world champion at the time, but as a former champion and perennial top contender, was protected in booking and it was matches with Race and Jack Brisco that made Muraco into a babyface people thought would be world champion some day. You can now substitute Muraco with literally every top young wrestler of that era and the story was identical.

[Big Boss Man]

[Ocelot]

Let's make a list of great Race matches on Youtube and watch them all to remember this legend by. Ok if we keep it in here versus the general video thread?

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Ok if we keep it in here versus the general video thread?

You can post them in here if you want.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Big Boss Man]

[Big Boss Man]

Trevor Murdoch said Harley needed to be transported from Atlanta to St Louis because of his health. A call was made to WWE as Medicare couldn't help, so Vince paid to make sure he was taken care of.

[Bandit]

WWE Hall of Famer Harley Race was laid to rest in Missouri on Wednesday.

Several wrestling stars attended the funeral, including Curtis Axel, Trevor Murdoch, Dave Lagana, Nick Aldis, The Undertaker and WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair, Ted DiBiase and Ricky Steamboat, according to PWInsider. Students from Race's school and WLW indie promotion were also in attendance, along with family and friends.

Race passed away on August 1 after a battle with lung cancer. He was 76.