Today at 12:50, we lost the man that fought up until the very last of his existence. More information will be released soon, but just know that he loved pro-wrestling and the fans that loved him.
— Harley Race (@8XNWAChampion) August 1, 2019
Harley Race, we love you
Race died of "complications from lung cancer," the WWE said in a statement.
Considered one of the top champions in wrestling and a true legend in the sport, "Handsome" Harley Race won the National Wrestling Alliance championship seven times, a record until "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair broke it in 1991, according to the WWE.
It called Race “one of the NWA’s most influential figures of all time” and offered condolences to his family, friends and fans.
"To this day, only a handful of superstars can claim to have won more World Heavyweight Championships than Race," the organization said.
Race was the NWA’s most prevailing champions during the 1970s and 1980s, beating other notable wrestlers like Dusty Rhodes, Flair, Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk and Giant Baba.
Rhodes' son, Dustin Rose, called Race “one of the greatest performers there ever was” in a post on social media.
RIP to one of the greatest performers there ever was. He was a friend. You will be missed #HarleyRace #RIP
— Dustin Rhodes (@dustinrhodes) August 1, 2019
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