The former NWA World Heavyweight Champion came to the WWF in 1986, billed as "Handsome" Harley Race, under the tutelage of manager Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Race was the second King of the Ring winner- defeating George "The Animal" Steele, Billy Jack Haynes, and former WWF Triple Crown Winner Pedro Morales in the finals- and the first to incorporate the tournament victory into his wrestling persona. As "King" Harley Race, he would demand that his vanquished foes bow before him (often with the physical help of Heenan.) Race feuded with Junkyard Dog during his reign- defeating JYD at WrestleMania III, in a match with the crown on the line and a stipulation that the loser had to bow before the winner. Race also faced WWF Champion Hulk Hogan around this time, putting himself through a ringside table after missing a diving headbutt and giving himself a hernia in the process. With Race sidelined from the injury, Hennan took the crown and gifted it to fellow Heenan-family member Haku. Haku and Race would face each other at the 1989 Royal Rumble to again name the true King of the Ring, with Race falling short in his attempt to regain the crown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3koRg7mWu1M An interesting side-story to Race's reign; in 1987, the WWF promoted a show in Memphis, TN, as featuring "The King" (meaning Race.) Of course, Memphis wrestling was home to Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Lawler filed suit against the World Wrestling Federation for using the title in an alleged intentional attempt to trick the home crowd into thinking Lawler would be appearing for the WWF, as he had been using the "King" moniker since 1974. Lawler won in court, and Harley- and no wrestler outside of Lawler in the WWF- would be able to claim to be "The King" in Memphis again.
The 'House is a father of two and husband of one in Minnesota. He is an improv comedian, and in his spare time follows WWE, MLB, The Simpsons, and Bob's Burgers. Growing up he was a huge fan of He-Man, and refuses to believe that it was in fact terrible.
