Just last week, the wrestling world was saddened by the loss of Harley Race, main-eventer of the first Starrcade and a “King” in WWE. Now that a few days have passed, more details have emerged about the legend’s finally days. Former WWE star Trevor Murdoch, who was trained by Race and maintained a friendship with him, revealed that a perhaps-unexpected benefactor helped Harley Race financially in his final days.
Here’s what Murdoch posted on his Facebook.
I just wanted to put this out there. Harley needed to be transferred from Atlanta to St.Louis. He needed to take a Med flight because he was in rough shape. Medicare wouldn’t help him. A call was made to WWE and 10 mins later it was paid in full. Vince McMahon never blinked an eye. He wanted to make sure Harley was taken care of.
It’s always great to hear that Vince always seems willing to help out old-timers like this when they really need it. On the other hand, it’s sad how many wrestling legends don’t seem to be in great financial shape in their later years. Maybe if WWE would take better care of performers who are still working (perhaps by treating them like the full-time employees they are and giving them benefits, for example), things would seem less dire down the road.
