The 5 best Harley Race matches

#3 Harley Race vs. Dusty Rhodes - 1979

Race vs Rhodes

During their long careers, Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes fought each other on multiple occasions. Their feud transcended continents and promotions as they would have awesome matches in North America and Asia. The rivalry between the two men usually centered around the NWA World Heavyweight Championship and in 1979 on August 21st, it culminated in a 5-star classic.

The match was a grueling affair as it lasted 20 minutes and the two men used all the tools in their arsenal to try and defeat the opponent. One of the highlights of the match was when Harley delivered a piledriver on Dusty but Dusty kicked out. A few minutes later Dusty delivered his own piledriver but Harley managed to kick out in the nick of time.

This match was important to Dusty as he had promised himself and his fans that he would win the NWA World Title on that night. Dusty kept his promise and after a devastating elbow drop, he pinned Race to win the title. Immediately Dusty won he was mobbed by fellow wrestlers such as Jack and Gerald Brisco, who were former NWA Champions.

This was the perfect instance of Harley Race looking good in defeat and Pro Wrestling Illustrated agreed naming it the 1979 Match of the Year.