 Morton in 2015 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Wendell Morton (1956-09-21)September 21, 1956 (age 69) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Children | 7 |
| Family | Todd Morton (cousin)[4] Kerry Morton (son) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Richard Morton Rick Morton Ricky Morton |
| Billed height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 227 lb (103 kg)[1] |
| Billed from | "The Volunteer State of Tennessee"[2] |
| Trained by | Ken Lucas[3] |
| Debut | 1977 |
Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an Americanprofessional wrestler, currently performing on theindependent circuit. For most of his career, Morton has performed withRobert Gibson as theRock 'n' Roll Express, described as "the consummatebabyfacetag team".[5] Morton has wrestled for multiple promotions in the United States including theContinental Wrestling Association,Mid-South Wrestling,Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling,Smoky Mountain Wrestling, theWorld Wrestling Federation, andExtreme Championship Wrestling, as well as the Japanese promotionsAll Japan Pro Wrestling,New Japan Pro-Wrestling, andWrestle Association R.
Morton has held dozens ofchampionships throughout his career, including theNWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship,NWA World Tag Team Championship,USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship,USWA World Tag Team Championship, andWCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. He has been inducted into theNWA Hall of Fame,Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, andWWE Hall of Fame. His skill at driving audiences into a sympathetic frenzy by convincinglyselling pain gave rise to the expression "playing Ricky Morton".[5][6][7]
Morton was trained by veteran wrestlerKen Lucas.[3] He debuted in 1977, facingKen Wayne in his debut match. He wrestled primarily for theContinental Wrestling Association inMemphis, Tennessee, often teaming with Lucas orEddie Gilbert. Morton quickly became a popular performer thanks to his "athletic prowess", "sensational looks", and "spiky blond mullet". His popularity with female fans saw him dubbed a "teen idol".[8][9][10][11]
In early 1983, promotersJerry Jarrett andJerry Lawler paired Morton withRobert Gibson as TheRock 'n' Roll Express in an attempt to replicate the popularity ofThe Fabulous Ones.[12] They won the Mid-South Tag Team Title three times and feuded with the team that would become their archrivals, TheMidnight Express ofBobby Eaton andDennis Condrey. Because of his small stature and good looks, he was usually made the "Face in Peril", meaning he would be the one to take most of the punishment in the matches to get the fans behind the team. He was also the one that always suffered a humiliation or "injury" to further thestoryline the team would be involved in. Nowadays, this is sometimes referred to as "Playing Ricky Morton". At this time they also teamed in Joe Blanchard's South West wrestling territory feuding with The Grapplers.
In 1984, Morton took part in a high-profile angle withRandy Savage which saw Savagepiledrive him through a table at ringside.[13][14]
In 1981, Morton began wrestling forNWA Tri-State. He formed a tag team withEddie Gilbert, winning theNWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship twice. His second reign ended in August 1981 when he left the promotion.[15]
In 1984, Morton and Gibson began wrestling regularly forMid-South Wrestling, the successor to NWA Tri-State. They won theMid-South Tag Team Championship three times during 1984, trading the titles withThe Midnight Express. Their third and final reign lasted until March 1985, when they lost toSteve Williams andTed DiBiase.[16] They continued to appear with Mid-South Wrestling until June 1985.[17]
Morton and Gibson reappeared with Mid-South Wrestling, by then renamed theUniversal Wrestling Federation, throughout 1986. At the "Superdome Extravaganza"supercard in theLouisiana Superdome in June 1986, Morton unsuccessfully challengedRic Flair for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship.[17]
In 1985, both teams moved on to theNational Wrestling Alliance'sJim Crockett Promotions and became famous due to the national television exposure ofTBS. Ricky and Robert had a major feud with the "Russians",Ivan Koloff andNikita Koloff and won theNWA World Tag Team Title. They traded the title again with the Russians and lost them to their hated rivals the Midnight Express on February 2, 1986, duringSuperstars on the Superstation due to theirmanager,Jim Cornette. Cornette used histennis racket on Robert to help his team win.
Fearing that his self-proclaimed sex appeal with women was being threatened by Morton, NWA ChampionRic Flair began a feud with Morton in 1986. In the spring of that year, Morton was having an interview at ringside when Flair came onto the set and insulted Morton's fans (who consisted mostly oftween girls) by calling them "teenyboppers in their training bras." He gave Morton a training bra as a "gift from one of Flair's girlfriends" and told Morton that he couldn't handle real, grown-up women.[18] In response, Morton stomped on Flair's sunglasses. This led to a fight and then a series of matches, the most notable being theirSteel Cage match at the1986 Great American Bash. To help build Morton as a serious title contender, it was pointed out that he once went to a one-hour draw with then-AWA ChampionNick Bockwinkel. Morton never won the title but he proved that he was of the same caliber as Flair was in the ring. At one point in thefeud with Flair, after a six-man tag team elimination match in which Morton pinned Flair to become the winner, Flair and the other threeFour Horsemen invaded the Rock 'n' Roll Express' dressing room and attacked Morton, rubbing his face on the concrete floor, causing a grotesque-looking facial injury. They also broke his nose in another attack. Horsemen memberArn Anderson would also make fun of Morton, calling him "Punky Morton," which was a play on the popular 1980ssitcomPunky Brewster. The term used to belittle Morton backfired when fans began to use it as a term of endearment. Morton and Gibson won the title back from the Midnight Express and feuded withOle and Arn Anderson for the rest of the year. They culminated this feud with a win over the Andersons in a cage match atStarrcade on November 28. This victory started the Horsemen's dissatisfaction with Ole, who was kicked out of the stable just months later. Morton and Gibson then lost the title toRick Rude andManny Fernandez on December 6, 1986, whom they feuded with from December 1986 to June 1987. When Rude left for theWorld Wrestling Federation, the title was given back to the Rock & Roll Express, with the explanation that they won the title accompanied by footage of a prior non-title match won by the Rock & Roll Express where they pinned the champions.
Morton and Gibson then feuded briefly with theNew Breed,Sean Royal andChris Champion, but this feud ended when the New Breed were injured in an auto accident. Their next feud was with Arn Anderson andTully Blanchard, who won the title from them on September 29, 1987, after Jim Cornette's new Midnight Express ofBobby Eaton andStan Lane attacked them and injured Morton's arm and shoulder. Morton came out in the middle of the match and blindly tagged Gibson and courageously tried to wrestle but the Horsemen soon took advantage and Gibson gave up the match to save Morton more pain. They feuded for a few months with the Horsemen keeping the titles by getting themselves disqualified, and injuring Gibson's ribs.
In May 1988, Morton and Gibson toured Japan withAll Japan Pro Wrestling, competing in the Super Power Series and facing teams includingSamson Fuyuki andToshiaki Kawada, Shinichi Nakano andTiger Mask, and Isamu Teranishi andMasanobu Fuchi. They returned for a second tour in October 1988, this time competing in the October Giant Series. In the final match of their tour they unsuccessfully challenged Fuyuki and Kawada for theAll Asia Tag Team Championship.[19]
In 1989, Morton and Gibson went toUnited States Wrestling Association were they feuded with Wildside (Chris Champion andMark Starr) and The Blackbirds,Ice Man Parsons and Action Jackson. Later that year he teamed with his cousin, Todd Morton and won the CWA Tag team titles.
They returned toWorld Championship Wrestling in 1990. Gibson injured his knee and Morton teamed withBig Josh andJunkyard Dog to win theWCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.[20]
On June 12, 1991, atClash of the Champions XV, Morton was in the ring to accept an invitation byAlexandra York to join herYork Foundation. Gibson appeared and said he was healthy and ready to go and to everybody's shock, Morton turned on Gibson and beat him down before leaving with York,Mr. Hughes andTerrence Taylor. He changed his name to Richard Morton and they soon addedTommy Rich, who became Thomas Rich. They feuded with Gibson,Dustin Rhodes and Bobby Eaton and won theWCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. AtThe Great American Bash in July 1991, Morton defeated Gibson.[21] In October 1991 atHalloween Havoc, Morton lost toFlyin' Brian in a bout for the newly createdWCW Light Heavyweight Championship.[6]
They disbanded in early 1992 and Morton was used as a preliminary heeljobber where he teamed with various heels likeDiamond Dallas Page. Morton made his last WCW TV appearance in a match against Barry Windham on July 18, 1992.
Morton and Gibson returned toWorld Championship Wrestling in January 1993 feuding withThe Heavenly Bodies. They appeared atSuperBrawl III and defeated the Heavenly Bodies.
In 1992, Morton joinedSmoky Mountain Wrestling and reformed the Rock & Roll Express with Gibson on August 8, 1992, during a match in Johnson City, Tennessee. They went back and forth to the two promotions. They feuded with two versions ofThe Heavenly Bodies for the next year and a half,Stan Lane andTom Prichard, and Prichard andJimmy Del Ray. They feuded withThe Gangstas (New Jack andMustafa Saed) in 1994 and went to the NWA to win the Tag Team Championship again in 1995. During 1995 he also teamed briefly withDavid Jericho. Later that year, he reunited with Gibson and they feuded withPG-13. Both Morton and Gibson left USWA in 1996.
In 1993, Morton and Gibson debuted in theWorld Wrestling Federation on the September 27, 1993, episode ofMonday Night Raw, defeatingBarry Hardy andDuane Gill. Recognized on WWF television as the SMW Tag Team Champions, they went on to defend the championship in bouts onWWF All American Wrestling andWWF Superstars. AtSurvivor Series on November 24, 1993, they lost the championship toThe Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard andJimmy Del Ray), leaving the WWF thereafter.[22]
Morton and Gibson briefly returned to the WWF in July 1994, joining the WWF Summer Fest tour of Germany and losing a series of matches toThe Smoking Gunns.[22]
In July 1993, Morton and Gibson toured Japan withWrestle Association R, facingÚltimo Dragón andYuji Yasuraoka in a series of bouts. They returned for a second tour in November 1994 as part of the WAR-ISM 1994 event, facing members ofFuyuki-Gun on several occasions.[23]
Morton and Gibson returned to World Championship Wrestling on the June 3, 1996, episode ofWCW Monday Nitro. They briefly feuded withThe Four Horsemen. They remained with the promotion until October 1996.[24]
In May 1996, Morton and Gibson wrestled four bouts for the Japanese promotionFrontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW). At theFMW 7th Anniversary Show inKawasaki Stadium, Morton, Gibson andRicky Fuji defeated Boogie Man,Crypt Keeper, and Freddy Krueger in a six-man tag team bout.[25]
Morton returned for a second tour with FMW in April 1997, participating in the "Fighting Creation" tournament as part of a three-man team with Fuji andHayabusa. At theFMW 8th Anniversary Show inYokohama Arena, he and Fuji defeated Dragon Winger andHido. Morton returned once more in August 1997, teaming with Fuji in the "Super Dynamism" tournament. During the tournament, Morton, Fuji, andJinsei Shinzaki lost toMr. Gannosuke,The Gladiator, andSuper Leather in a "no ropes barbed wirestreet fight".[25]
Morton debuted in thePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotionExtreme Championship Wrestling atECW House Party 1997 on January 11, 1997. He teamed withTommy Rich in a loss toThe Gangstas; following the bout, Morton and Rich faced one another in an impromptu match that was won by Rich. He returned to ECW the following month atCrossing the Line Again, losing toBig Stevie Cool.[26]
In January 1998, both Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson returned to theWorld Wrestling Federation as part of the"NWA" angle as the NWA Tag Team Champions. They lost the titles toThe Headbangers on February 17 episode ofRaw Is War. They competed atWrestleMania XIV in the tag team battle royal won byThe Legion of Doom. In the spring they feuded with the NWA World Tag Team ChampionsNew Midnight ExpressBodacious Bart andBombastic Bob. This took them to their match atUnforgiven: In Your House which Gunn and Holly won.
After leaving WWF in May 1998, they went to work forOhio Valley Wrestling andPower Pro Wrestling until 1999. Morton then appeared onJuggalo Championship Wrestling's JCW Vol. 1 in a battle royal.
On September 7, 2002, he defeated his former rivalBobby Eaton at Ultimate Championship wrestling.
In 2003, they briefly were part ofVince Russo'sS.E.X. group inTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). They feuded withAmerica's Most Wanted. Morton lost toKid Kash on July 30.
Since leaving TNA, Morton wrestles all over the independent circuit in the Southeast and on the East Coast and often wins regional titles. Occasionally, he teams with Gibson as the Rock 'N Roll Express. In 2003/2004, he, along with Robert Gibson, joined the All World Wrestling league/Big Time Wrestling. On March 31, 2007, inLogan, West Virginia, Morton defeatedBobby Eaton in an NWA Legends Match during ASW's Rumble In The Jungle show.[27] On April 27, 2007, inMemphis, Tennessee, at thePMG Clash of Legends event put on byMemphis Wrestling, Morton andKid Kash captured the MW Southern Tag Team Championship, defeatingToo Cool II. On June 30, 2007, The Rock & Roll Express (Ricky and Todd Morton) beat Big and Tasty (Sweet William Valentine and Playboy Mike Trusty) to win the AWA Supreme Tag Team titles. On October 24, 2007, The Rock & Roll Express lost the AWA Supreme Tag Team Titles to Chaos Theory (Khris Kaliber and Karma). On January 4, 2014, Morton defeatedChase Owens to win theNWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. He re-lost the title to Owens on March 7.[28]
In 2014, Morton opened a wrestling school, The School of Morton, inChuckey, Tennessee. The School of Morton also operates a promotion calledSOM Live, with a weeklyweb series SOM 5:05 Live.[29]
In 2016, The Rock N' Roll Express made a special appearance as part of TNA's weekly televised programImpact Wrestling'sTotal Nonstop Deletion episode, where they took part in the Tag Team Apocalypto match along with other tag teams.
In 2017, The Rock N' Roll Express were inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame.[2]
The team made their New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut during the Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2019 event, 3 events promoted by NJPW in the United States.
In 2019, Morton and Gibson wrestled three bouts forNew Japan Pro-Wrestling[30] and also appeared inAll Elite Wrestling.
The Rock N Roll Express participated in the 2019 edition of the Jim Crockett Cup, but were defeated by The Briscoe Brothers in the first round. During the NWA television tapings on October 1, 2019, they won the NWA World Tag Team Championship.[31] In January 2020, Morton entered a rivalry withNick Aldis, leading to a Heavyweight Championship match onNWA Powerrr which Morton lost.[32]
Morton made hisWWE video game debut as DLC forWWE 2K18 along with Robert Gibson.
Morton's cousin Todd Morton also wrestled, occasionally teaming with Morton.[4]
Morton was arrested in October 2005 for failing to pay child support. Morton contended that the outstanding payments were due to the child support amount having been set when he was earning a significant income working for major promotions as a part of The Rock N' Roll Express, and failed to reflect the much lower amount he was able to earn on the independent circuit.[33] At least two benefit shows were put together in February 2006 to raise money towards his legal fees. A United Wrestling Association show in Alcoa, Tennessee on February 2, 2006, raised $2,475 for this cause. On February 15, 2006, Morton was released under the condition that he continue working and making efforts to catch up on the delinquent payments owed to his ex-wife. He returned to the ring the next night for the United Wrestling Association.[34] In September 2007, while camping with his children at a Tennessee park, Morton was rearrested on the same charges. It was estimated he owed a remaining balance of $63,000. A website was established, and raised enough funds to secure hisbail.
Morton currently operates School of Morton inChuckey, Tennessee, where he serves as a trainer. He also still works theindependent circuit and cameos in several films and videos.
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