By the late fall of 1987, Duggan received his first major push since his return, being placed in a feud opposite "King" Harley Race, who was using a monarch gimmick who sneered at WWE Superstars he thought were below him. Duggan vowed he would never give in to Race's demands to bow to him, and during a televised confrontation, took Race's crown and cape, though Race would later get them back. At the 1987 Slammy Awards, where Duggan presented the nominees for "Best Ring Apparel," an on-stage shoving match between him and the winner (Race), a wild brawl broke out between the two, going backstage and eventually reaching back to the main stage before interrupting another award presentation and Gorilla Monsoon stepping in to separate the two. Duggan eventually defeated Race several times in both televised and non-televised shows.