The first ever WWE US Champion was a legitimate badass. Starting at a young age, Race discovered he was an incredible fighter and was even suspended from school as a child for punching his principle! Despite getting into pro wrestling, Race began fighting fans for money, eventually making fighting a part of his gimmick.
In his autobiography, Race revealed what he thought was his most memorable fight against a fan. in the early 1980’s a motorcycle gang began heckling Race during his match. Race didn’t let it get under his skin as his heel work was so effective that he was shot at, and even stabbed by fans in previous experiences. As the match progressed, so did the taunting, but still, Harley did his best to ignore the obnoxious fans.
After the match, it was business as usual for Race. He took of his gear, changed into street clothes, and after the show, left the arena. However, the Oregon natives loitered outside, waiting for Race and looking for a fight. The leader of the gang stepped out in front of Race before Harley proceeded to warn him that if they fought, he’d get hurt. The man persisted on insulting Race, and before anybody knew it, the fight was on. According to Race’s autobiography, the fight went down like this:
He quickly lunged into me, and I flung my head full force at his. My forehead against his nose was like concrete against an egg. His nose cracked, and blood spewed out of his nostrils. Just to add an exclamation point, I cross-faced him into a version of a sleeper hold so his buddies could watch him pass out while they saw a crimson highway of blood flowing from his nose to the mat. After a couple of seconds, his body went limp and I released the grip.
According to multiple reports at the time, many spectators thought the biker had actually died from Harley’s assault, but he made a full recovery and was dragged away by his friends.
There are countless legit tough guys in wrestling; Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and Ken Shamrock just to name a few, but you don’t get any tougher than the WWE Hall Of Famer, Harley Race.
