The
celebration, as most of us know, was short lived, thanks to Terry Funk.Five days later in
Orlando
Funk
breaks Dusty's arm in an unprovoked attack before a title bout with Race.Surprisingly, Harley Race is willing to postpone the title match because
of the attack but Dusty says the match must go on, for the fans sake.
Rhodes
puts up a gallant effort, even bloodies Race, but in the end Harley Race walks
out of
Orlando
the NWA World Champion for the third time.It should be noted that
Rhodes
was disqualified in this match for flipping Harley over the top rope.The pre-match stipulation was that the title could change hands on a
disqualification.Thus, the
Race/Rhodes feud burned even brighter for even though Harley was champion again,
he had failed once more in pinning his opponent's shoulders to the mat.
The
next big epic clash between Dusty Rhodes and Harley Race would be "The Last
TangleiIn Tampa" in the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rhodes
made the promise that he would never wrestle Harley Race again after this two
out of three fall match up.What
some of you may not know is how and when Dusty first made this announcement
about this match.A very young
Barry Windham was sucker punched and savaged once more by the Florida
Heavyweight Champion Magnificent Muraco on CWF TV.Just as it looked the worst was in store for
Windham
, Dusty Rhodes hits the ring.Well,
actually, first a garbage can hit the ring.That is what you first see fly into the ring before Dusty enters.
Rhodes
proceeds to pummel Muraco and stuff the garbage can over him.Lights out, literally, for the Magnificent One!
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Dusty
flew into a tirade ringside after the incident stating he was fed up with the
NWA and Harley Race.He had
defeated Race on more than one occasion but the NWA Title was still around
Harley's waist.He would wrestle
Race only one more time and then never again would he wrestle for the Worlds
Heavyweight Championship.
So
the stage is set.On a hot and
humid summer night, 16,000 fans come to Tampa Stadium to see a spectacular
lineup of wrestling.Two major
heavyweight championships are at stake on this historic evening.
The
main event is now set, a two out of three falls match for the NWA Championship.
Rhodes
is set to step into the ring for the last time against Harley Race.The NWA has appointed Fritz Von Erich as special referee.Fritz promises to call it as he sees it and he does.He is an impartial referee.Fritz
makes the three count in the first fall after Dusty catches Race coming off the
ropes with an elbow in the chin and finishing him off with a perfect bionic
elbow in the middle of the ring.The
stadium erupts in appreciation and Dusty parades around the ring with one finger
pointed in the air yelling "one more, one more."
The
second and final fall goes the time limit with no pin falls and
Rhodes
is declared the winner.But,
because Dusty did not defeat Harley Race by pin fall or submission for two
falls, the National Wrestling Alliance Worlds Championship cannot change hands.
Rhodes
accomplishes two goals even though he does not win the title.Once again, he pins Race and Harley does not defeat
Rhodes
.The end has come to an epic feud
between two great gladiators.Or
has it?
Sometime
later Harley Race is ringside on CWF TV being interviewed by Jerry Brisco and
Barbara Clary.Race delivers the
quintessential Harley Race promo in his
Missouri
style accent."What I want to
really get across is that I have been five times Worlds heavyweight champion but
there is one man I have not beat, one man that has run away into hiding and has
absolutely refused to come out.That's
the likes of Dusty Rhodes.I want
it publicly known that
Rhodes
is an egg sucking dog, he's yella (yellow), completely gutless.That's the reason why he has run away and hid and has denied me the
opportunity of removing the only blemish ever on this belt."
Jerry
Brisco continues the interview bringing up other top challengers like Ted
DiBiase, Mr. Wrestling II, Manny Fernandez and Barry Windham hot on the
champions trail.Race continues his
characteristic promo."Like I
have said, wrestling in
Florida
is like wrestling all over the world at one time.They're all after me.
And
if they weren't after me, they don't deserve to be in what they are in.But, it is still here (motioning to the NWA Belt on his shoulder) and it
is still polished and it still says right on the top of it Worlds heavyweight
champion.Not one man capable of
taking it away as of to date."Great
stuff.Classic Harley Race!
Of
course we all know that Dusty Rhodes agreed to wrestle Harley Race again for the
NWA World Title.And, eventually,
on
June 21st, 1981
in the Omni in
Atlanta
,
GA
, Dusty Rhodes defeats Race with a flying body press off the top rope to win his
second NWA World Championship.It
appears that
Florida
has finally seen the last of Harley Race.
Fast
forward to
June 10th, 1983
.History is made in
St. Louis
,
MO
as Harley Race wins the NWA World Championship for a record 7th time
defeating "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.Soon Race will return to
Florida
and indirectly cause the end of a friendship as well as face a young lion named
Barry Windham who will push the champion to the limits on a televised match.
Ron
Bass was the reining Southern Heavyweight Champion in the summer of 1983 when
Harley Race came to town to defend his NWA World Title.Bass was under the assumption that since he was the Southern Champion
that he would be first in line for a shot at Race in
Florida
.That was not to be the case as
Dusty Rhodes received a big title shot at the Eddie Graham Sports Complex in
Orlando
,
FL.This did not sit well with Ron
Bass.He was a popular face at the
time but he voiced his disgust at not receiving a shot at the title and even got
in an argument with Dusty on CWF TV.After
a couple of tense weeks Rhodes and Bass settled their differences, or so it
seemed.Bass was named special
referee for the upcoming NWA Title match and Rhodes was confident that he would
realize his dream for a third time with Bass calling it right down the middle.
It
certainly appeared
Rhodes
was on his way to winning a third World Title as he dominated Race during the
entire match.Deep into the match
with Race a crimson mask, Dusty slapped on the figure four leg lock and it
appeared was seconds from winning the match.Bass knelt in close and asked Race if he wanted to submit.Race declined but you could tell he would not last long the pain was
unbearable.Bass rose to his feet
and slowly took some steps back until he stepped out of the ring, on to the top
turnbuckle and came crashing down on Dusty.He battered and bloodied
Rhodes
with his belt wrapped around his fist.Two
shots to the head and
Rhodes
was easy prey for Race who crawled over and draped his arm over his chest to
finally pin Dusty Rhodes!
Harley's
last visit to CWF TV that I can recall was a one fall, 30 minute, non-title
match against #1 contender, Barry Windham.Dusty
Rhodes
is at the desk lending color commentary with Gordon Solie and Buddy Colt.Race soon approaches the podium and starts berating
Rhodes
and complaining to Gordon that controversy always seems to follow him when he
comes to
Florida
.Race then yells out a stern but
hilarious warning to
Rhodes
."I'm getting my backside in
that ring and I'm gonna beat your number one contender.And, if you're still around honky (pointing his finger directly at Dusty)
I'll deal with you!"
Race
took to the offense right away to young Barry Windham.Barry stood toe to toe with the Champion and early on reversed a
potential devastating piledriver and suplex.The battle raged on outside the ring.Race slammed the challenger's head into the steel ring post bloodying
him.Back in the ring, Barry fought
back and dropkicked Harley over the top rope.The referee waved off the disqualification as Race's momentum carried him
over the top rope.The match
continued outside the ring and Barry returned the favor to Race by slamming
Harley's head into the steel ring post and soon Race was a bloody mess!It is interesting to note that both men were thrown into the same steel
ring post and both men bladed by the cover and security of the announcer's desk.
The
two combatants returned to the ring and Barry had the Champion reeling.Hard rights to the jaw of Race had him down but he kept getting back up."Harley Race has a jaw made of granite," exclaims Solie.
The
end was near as
Windham
whipped Race into the ropes and attempted a flying lariat.Race ducked and Barry landed hard.Harley
picked up the fallen challenger and attempted a suplex to finish him.Barry dropped behind Race and with a rolling reverse he pinned the World
Champion on TV!Race immediately
pushed Barry off after the three count and his momentum carried himself out of
the ring.Race followed and
attempted a suplex that was quickly thwarted by Dusty Rhodes.Race quickly slugs
Rhodes
and then piledrives him on the concrete floor.As
Windham
attends to the injured
Rhodes
, Race comes to the podium, picks up his belt and proclaims to Solie and Colt
"There's both of your contenders, right there!I have nothing to prove.There
they lay, both of them!"
Harley
Race would return a few more times to
Florida
after he lost his NWA Title on Thanksgiving night in 1983.Nevertheless, it is the times he came to CWF carrying the 10lbs of gold
that this writer remembers fondly.In
the words of Gordon Solie, Harley Race was "a man who has truly become a
legend."
death.The following saying has been over used many times, but still rings true
for David Von Erich, gone but not forgotten.
