April 27 marked 45 years since Tommy “Wildfire” Rich won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Harley Race in 1981, and the legendary Georgia star reflected on the historic moment during a recent appearance on the Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw show.
Rich was 21 years old when he became one of the youngest world champions in NWA history, defeating Race at the Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia. His four-day reign remains one of the most controversial title runs in NWA history.
Harley Race Never Told Him The Finish Was On
Rich went into the match without a clear idea of how it would end, believing Race was joking when he hinted that something was up.
“I didn’t even know. They didn’t tell me about the match time, and me and Harley went 45 minutes. I figured he’s just ribbing me. I thought we’re just going to do the hour. It’s easy to dance with Harley for an hour. He was a ring general.”
The finish itself came together in the ring, late in the match.
“We got about 45, 50 minutes in. He said, duck the clothesline, fast press. And I fast pressed him up. The referee went one, two, and there was a little hesitation, then he hit that three. That’s when I really realized it was real. It shocked me as much as the people.”
Andre The Giant Stepped Over The Top Rope
Rich shared a memorable detail from the moment he won the title.
“Andre was there that night, and he come down, stepped over top rope and picked me up in the air. That building, they was hanging from the rafters.”
Race Pulled A Prank The Next Night
Rich said Race’s reluctance to lay out the match in advance was just part of his personality.
“Harley was a good prankster anyway. The night after the match, I had a Trans Am, and he had rented a station wagon. We drive along, we running 80, 85, probably 90. All of a sudden I feel that Trans Am going faster. It was Harley behind me. He turned his headlights off, come up, and was pushing me at 100 mile an hour.”
The Top Of The Mountain
“That’s the top of the mountain right there. I was very blessed and so thankful for somebody like Harley to even take the time to feed with me. Back then you had to put 10 grand up for the belt. He just said, let the money ride on the kid. They all called me the kid. Now they call me the old man.”
Dropping The Title Back To Race
Rich said dropping the championship back to Race four days later was a quick conversation.
“They told me when I got there. They said, we want you to drop it back to Harley, which I didn’t have no problem with it. Like I could have said no to Harley anyway.”
Rich added that being champion was an enormous responsibility for someone his age.
“It was a lot to it. The responsibility of having to get in the ring and going an hour 45 minutes or whatever you’re asked to do, but then it’s the responsibility of going to rent cars or get catching rent a car, turning it in, catching the plane to go here, then to go there.”
