Richard Wendell Morton (born September 21, 1956) is an American

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

, currently performing on the

independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit (often shortened to the indie circuit or the indies) is the collective name of independently owned promotions which are deemed to be smaller and more regionalized than major national promotions. ...

. For most of his career, Morton has performed with Robert Gibson as the

Rock 'n' Roll Express The Rock 'n' Roll Express is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of professional wrestlers Robert Gibson (wrestler), Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton. The duo began teaming together in Memphis in the early 1980s, followed by Universal Wrest ...

, described as "the consummate

babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establis ...

". Morton has wrestled for multiple promotions in the United States including the

Continental Wrestling Association Continental Wrestling Association (later the Championship Wrestling Association) was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually ...

Mid-South Wrestling The Universal Wrestling Federation was a 1986 re-branding of wrestler-turned-owner Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling promotion. Watts' goal was to elevate his promotion from a relatively smaller, regional-level business, to a national-level riv ...

Jim Crockett Promotions Jim Crockett Promotions, at times branded as Eastern States Championship Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, is a Family business, family-owned professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, United Sta ...

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...

Smoky Mountain Wrestling Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, when it was run by Jim Cornette. The promotion was based in Knoxville, Tennessee, wit ...

, the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

, and

Extreme Championship Wrestling Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) was an American professional wrestling promotion that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and operated by its parent company HHG Corporation. The promotion was founded in 1992 by Tod Gordon as Nationa ...

, as well as the Japanese promotions

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...

, and

Wrestle Association R Wrestle Association R (formerly known as Wrestle and Romance and abbreviated as WAR) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 2000 ...

. Morton has held dozens of

championships In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

throughout his career, including the

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Created in 1943, the title is competed for by junior heavyweight wrestlers. History The first NWA World J ...

NWA World Tag Team Championship The NWA World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling World Tag Team Championship, world tag team championship created by the National Wrestling Alliance. From 1948 to 1982, the NWA allowed List of National Wrestling Alliance territories ...

USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship The USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship formed in 1988, which consisted of the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship from World Class Championship Wrestling and the AWA World Heavy ...

USWA World Tag Team Championship The USWA World Tag Team Championship was the primary professional wrestling tag team championship promoted by the Memphis, Tennessee-based United States Wrestling Association (USWA). The Continental Wrestling Association and World Class Wrestling ...

, and

WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship The WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship was a championship contested in World Championship Wrestling throughout 1991. It was considered a revived version of the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship that was used in Jim Crockett Promotions; ...

. He has been inducted into the

NWA Hall of Fame The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Hall of Fame is an American professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the NWA. It was established in 2005 to honor select wrestling personalities, mostly alumni of the NWA. Inductees receive commemor ...

, ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' Hall of Fame, and

WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when An ...

. His skill at driving audiences into a sympathetic frenzy by convincingly

selling Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. A period during which goods are sold for a reduced price may also be referred ...

pain gave rise to the expression "playing Ricky Morton".

Professional wrestling career

Continental Wrestling Association (1977–1985)

Morton was trained by veteran wrestler Ken Lucas. He debuted in 1977, facing

Ken Wayne Ken Wayne (1925–1993) was an Australian actor of radio, theatre, film and television. Career Wayne made his film debut in ''Sons of Matthew'' (1949) and appeared in a number of movies including '' Dust in the Sun'' (1958). Wayne had a featu ...

in his debut match. He wrestled primarily for the

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

, often teaming with Lucas or Eddie 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 A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers themselves. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. By region Asia Ea ...

". In early 1983, promoters

Jerry Jarrett Jerry Winston Jarrett (September 4, 1942 – February 14, 2023) was an American businessman, professional wrestling promoter, and professional wrestler. Along with his long-term business partner Jerry Lawler, he was a key figure in the history ...

and

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "the King" Lawler, is an American retired color commentator and professional wrestler signed to WWE under a Legends contract. Prior to joining the World Wrestling Federati ...

paired Morton with Robert Gibson as The

in an attempt to replicate the popularity of

The Fabulous Ones The Fabulous Ones were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Stan Lane and Steve Keirn who was active between 1982 and 1991 with brief reunions during the 1990s. The Fabulous Ones competed primarily in North American territories such as ...

. They won the Mid-South Tag Team Title three times and feuded with the team that would become their archrivals, The Midnight Express of

Bobby Eaton Bobby Lee Eaton (August 14, 1958 – August 4, 2021) was an American professional wrestler best known as "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton. He was most famous for his work in tag teams, especially as one-half of The Midnight Express. Under the manageme ...

and

Dennis Condrey Dennis Condrey (born February 1, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship Wrestling ...

. Because of his small stature and good looks, he was usually made the "

Face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...

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 the storyline 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 with

Randy Savage Randy Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler and professional baseball player, best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation ( ...

which saw Savage piledrive him through a table at ringside.

NWA Tri-State / Mid-South Wrestling (1981, 1984–1986, 1987)

In 1981, Morton began wrestling for

NWA Tri-State The Universal Wrestling Federation was a 1986 re-branding of wrestler-turned-owner Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling promotion. Watts' goal was to elevate his promotion from a relatively smaller, regional-level business, to a national-level riv ...

. He formed a tag team with Eddie Gilbert, winning the

NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship The NWA Tri-State Tag Team Championship was a tag team title created in 1962, and contested in the National Wrestling Alliance's Tri-State territory, which was promoted by Leroy McGuirk (Arkansas and Oklahoma) and Jack Curtis and Aurelian "Gri ...

twice. His second reign ended in August 1981 when he left the promotion. In 1984, Morton and Gibson began wrestling regularly for

, the successor to NWA Tri-State. They won the Mid-South Tag Team Championship three times during 1984, trading the titles with The Midnight Express. Their third and final reign lasted until March 1985, when they lost to Steve Williams and

Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (; born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator. He is signed to WWE as of 2024, where he works in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship succ ...

. They continued to appear with Mid-South Wrestling until June 1985. Morton and Gibson reappeared with Mid-South Wrestling, by then renamed the Universal Wrestling Federation, throughout 1986. At the "Superdome Extravaganza"

supercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

in the

Louisiana Superdome Caesars Superdome (originally Louisiana Superdome and formerly Mercedes-Benz Superdome), commonly known as the Superdome, is a domed multi-purpose stadium in the Southern United States, southern United States, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ...

in June 1986, Morton unsuccessfully challenged

Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years. He is ...

for the

NWA World Heavyweight Championship The NWA World's Heavyweight Championship is a men's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championships, world heavyweight championship owned and promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), an American professiona ...

Jim Crockett Promotions (1985–1988)

In 1985, both teams moved on to the

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...

and became famous due to the national television exposure of TBS. Ricky and Robert had a major feud with the "Russians",

Ivan Koloff Oreal Donald Perras (August 25, 1942 – February 18, 2017) was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by the ring name "the Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, where he was billed from Russia and, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ...

and

Nikita Koloff Nikita Koloff (born Nelson Scott Simpson, March 9, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and its successor, World Championship Wrestling between 1984 and 1992, wher ...

and won the NWA 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, during '' Superstars on the Superstation'' due to their

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

Jim Cornette James Mark Cornette (born September 17, 1961) is an American author, sports historian, and podcaster who previously worked in the professional wrestling industry as an agent, booker, color commentator, manager, photographer, promoter, tra ...

. Cornette used his

tennis racket A racket or racquet is an item of sporting equipment used to strike a ball or shuttlecock in a variety of sports. A racket consists of three major components: a widened distal end known as the ''head'', an elongated handle known as the ''grip' ...

on Robert to help his team win. Ricky Morton corner punches Flair 1987

Fearing that his self-proclaimed sex appeal with women was being threatened by Morton, NWA Champion

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 of

tween Preadolescence is a stage of human development following middle childhood and preceding adolescence.New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd Edition. 2005. Oxford University Press. It commonly ends with the beginning of puberty. Preadolescence is c ...

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. In response, Morton stomped on Flair's sunglasses. This led to a fight and then a series of matches, the most notable being their

Steel Cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick m ...

at the 1986 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 Champion

Nick Bockwinkel Nicholas Warren Francis Bockwinkel (December 6, 1934 – November 14, 2015) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the 1970s and 1980s. Bockwinkel had ...

. 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 the

feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...

with Flair, after a six-man tag team elimination match in which Morton pinned Flair to become the winner, Flair and the other three Four 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 member

Arn Anderson Martin Anthony Lunde (born September 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Arn Anderson, is an American professional wrestling Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Agent, road agent, author, and retired professional wrestler. Although he ...

would also make fun of Morton, calling him "Punky Morton," which was a play on the popular 1980s

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

Punky Brewster ''Punky Brewster'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes) in Chicago. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and ag ...

''. 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 with

Ole OLE, Ole or Olé may refer to: * Olé, a cheering expression used in Spain * Ole (name), a male given name, includes a list of people named Ole * Overhead lines equipment, used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains Co ...

and Arn Anderson for the rest of the year. They culminated this feud with a win over the Andersons in a cage match at

Starrcade Starrcade was a recurring professional wrestling event, originally broadcast via closed-circuit television and eventually broadcast via pay-per-view. It was originally held from 1983 to 2000, first by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) from ...

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 to

Rick Rude Richard Erwin Rood (December 7, 1958 – April 20, 1999), better known by his ring name "Ravishing" Rick Rude, was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who performed for many Professional wrestling promotion, promotions, incl ...

and Manny Fernandez on December 6, 1986, whom they feuded with from December 1986 to June 1987. When Rude left for the

, 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 the New Breed, Sean Royal and

Chris Champion Christopher Dennis Ashford-Smith (17 February 1961 – 22 August 2018), better known by his ring name Chris Champion, was an English professional wrestler. He primarily worked for various National Wrestling Alliance member territories, includin ...

, but this feud ended when the New Breed were injured in an auto accident. Their next feud was with Arn Anderson and

Tully Blanchard Tully Arthur Blanchard (born January 22, 1954) is a Canadian-American professional wrestler and manager. He is best known for his appearances with Jim Crockett Promotions and the World Wrestling Federation in the mid-to-late 1980s as a member of ...

, who won the title from them on September 29, 1987, after Jim Cornette's new Midnight Express of

and

Stan Lane Wallace Stanfield Lane (born August 5, 1953) is an American former professional wrestler and color commentator. He is best known for his appearances with the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA), Jim Crockett Promotions and World Championship ...

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.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1988)

In May 1988, Morton and Gibson toured Japan with

, competing in the Super Power Series and facing teams including

Samson Fuyuki (May 11, 1960 – March 19, 2003) was a Japanese professional wrestler and promoter better known by his ring name best known for his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), W ...

and

Toshiaki Kawada (born December 8, 1963) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), whom he worked for from his debut in 1982 up until 2008. In the promotion, he was a five-time Triple Crown He ...

, Shinichi Nakano and

Tiger Mask is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's ''Bokura Magazine'' from 1968 to 1970 and was later published in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1970 to ...

, and Isamu Teranishi and

Masanobu Fuchi is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is also a director and the co-head booker. Fuchi has exclusively worked for All Japan since his debut in 1974, and holds the record for the longest World Ju ...

. 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 the

All Asia Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). Originally, it was the top tag team title in the JWA, but its status became secondary once the NWA International Tag Team Championship was brou ...

United States Wrestling Association (1989)

In 1989, Morton and Gibson went to

United States Wrestling Association The United States Wrestling Association (USWA) was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. The company was founded when the Memphis-based Continental Wrestling Association merged with the Dallas-based World Class Champions ...

were they feuded with Wildside (

and

Mark Starr Mark Ashford-Smith (26 December 1962 – 7 June 2013), best known by his ring name Mark Starr, was an English professional wrestler. Early life Mark Ashford-Smith was born in Staffordshire on 26 December 1962. His older brother Chris was also a ...

) and The Blackbirds,

King Parsons King Bailey Parsons Jr. (born June 11, 1950) is a former professional wrestler better known by his ring name Iceman King Parsons. Professional wrestling career Parsons started wrestling in 1979 after being trained by Nick Kozak. King started ...

and Action Jackson. Later that year he teamed with his cousin, Todd Morton and won the CWA Tag team titles.

World Championship Wrestling (1990–1993)

They returned to

in 1990. Gibson injured his knee and Morton teamed with Big Josh and

Junkyard Dog Sylvester Ritter (December 13, 1952 – June 1, 1998) was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and NCAA football, college football player, best known for his time in Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts), Mid-South Wre ...

to win the

. On June 12, 1991, at Clash of the Champions XV, Morton was in the ring to accept an invitation by Alexandra York to join her

York Foundation The York Foundation was a professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling between 1990 and 1992. It was led by tech-savvy businesswoman Alexandra York, and comprised former babyfaces who adopted formal wear and formalized their ri ...

. 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 Curtis Hughes (born December 7, 1964) is an American professional wrestler, also known by the ring name Mr. Hughes. He is best known for his stints in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation. He also worked for the Americ ...

and Terrence Taylor. He changed his name to Richard Morton and they soon added

Tommy Rich Thomas Richardson (born July 26, 1956) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Tommy "Wildfire" Rich. He is a one time former National Wrestling Alliance NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Wo ...

, who became Thomas Rich. They feuded with Gibson,

Dustin Rhodes Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes, with a nickname of "The Natural" and is a member of The Sons of ...

and Bobby Eaton and won the

. At

The Great American Bash The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event held during the summer and has been produced by the American promotion WWE since 2004; since 2020, it has been held as an annual event for WWE's developmental brand, NXT. Created by Dus ...

in July 1991, Morton defeated Gibson. In October 1991 at

Halloween Havoc Halloween Havoc is a professional wrestling List of NWA/WCW closed-circuit events and pay-per-view events, event currently produced by WWE. Since 2020, it has been held annually for the company's WWE brand extension, developmental brand, NXT (WWE ...

, Morton lost to

Flyin' Brian Brian William Pillman (May 22, 1962 – October 5, 1997) was an American professional wrestler and professional football player best known for his appearances in Stampede Wrestling in the 1980s and World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Ch ...

in a bout for the newly created

WCW Light Heavyweight Championship The WCW Light Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling championship that was contested in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1991 and 1992. Conceived in 1991, the championship was first awarded as the result of a single-elimi ...

. They disbanded in early 1992 and Morton was used as a preliminary heel jobber where he teamed with various heels like

Diamond Dallas Page } Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), is an American fitness instructor, actor, and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE under a Legends contract, under the ring name Di ...

. Morton made his last WCW TV appearance in a match against Barry Windham on July 18, 1992. Morton and Gibson returned to

in January 1993 feuding with The Heavenly Bodies. They appeared at

SuperBrawl III SuperBrawl III was the third SuperBrawl professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on February 21, 1993 from the Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, North Carolina in the Unite ...

and defeated the Heavenly Bodies.

Smoky Mountain Wrestling (1992–1995)

In 1992, Morton joined

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 of The Heavenly Bodies for the next year and a half,

and

Tom Prichard Thomas Prichard (born August 18, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestling, professional wrestler and author better known by the ring name Dr. Tom Prichard. He is the older brother of Bruce Prichard. Professional wrestling career ...

, and Prichard and

Jimmy Del Ray David Everett Ferrier (November 30, 1962 – December 6, 2014) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Gigolo" Jimmy Del Ray. Del Ray was best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as one ...

. They feuded with

The Gangstas The Gangstas was a professional wrestling tag team and stable, consisting of New Jack and Mustafa Saed in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). The group originally started as a three-man group with D'Lo Brown in Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW), ...

(

New Jack Jerome Young (January 3, 1963 – May 14, 2021) was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name New Jack. He was best known for his time with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he became notorious for his willingn ...

and

Mustafa Saed Jamal Mustafa (born Terrance Ladd Blalock; September 30, 1963), better known by his ring name Mustafa Saed, is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Smoky Mountain Wrestling and Extre ...

) in 1994 and went to the NWA to win the Tag Team Championship again in 1995. During 1995 he also teamed briefly with David Jericho. Later that year, he reunited with Gibson and they feuded with

PG-13 The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion picture ...

. Both Morton and Gibson left USWA in 1996.

World Wrestling Federation (1993, 1994)

In 1993, Morton and Gibson debuted in the

on the September 27, 1993, episode of ''

Monday Night Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show features character ...

'', defeating

Barry Hardy Barry W. Hardy (born July 5, 1962) is an American professional wrestler and trainer who has competed in North American independent promotions since 1987, including East Coast Wrestling, Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation, the National Wrestling A ...

and Duane Gill. Recognized on WWF television as the SMW Tag Team Champions, they went on to defend the championship in bouts on ''

WWF All American Wrestling ''WWF All American Wrestling'' is a cable television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The show was a predecessor to '' Tuesday Night Titans'' and ''Saturday Night's Main Event'', originally filling the 11:00 a.m. Eas ...

'' and ''

WWF Superstars is a List of wrestling video games, wrestling video game manufactured by Technōs Japan and released for arcade game, arcades in 1989. It is the first WWE, WWF arcade game to be released. A series of unrelated games with the WWF Superstars (Gam ...

''. At

Survivor Series Survivor Series, branded as Survivor Series: WarGames since 2022, is a professional wrestling event produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving ( ...

on November 24, 1993, they lost the championship to The Heavenly Bodies (

and

), leaving the WWF thereafter. 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 to

The Smoking Gunns The Smoking Gunns were a professional wrestling tag team of kayfabe brothers Billy Gunn (Monty Sopp) and Bart Gunn (Mike Polchlopek). They portrayed cowboys in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1996, where they held the WWF T ...

Wrestle Association R (1993, 1994)

In July 1993, Morton and Gibson toured Japan with

, facing

Último Dragón , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler signed to Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate, where he acts as an in-ring talent, trainer and senior advisor. In addition to having trained in Japan, ...

and

Yuji Yasuraoka Yuji Yasuraoka (安良岡裕二 ''Yasuraoka Yuji'') (born January 28, 1971) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Wrestle Association R, where he became a one-time Tenryu Project International Junior Heavy ...

in a series of bouts. They returned for a second tour in November 1994 as part of the WAR-ISM 1994 event, facing members of

Fuyuki-Gun was the name of Japanese professional wrestling stables led by Hiromichi Fuyuki in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and Wrestle Association R (WAR) during the 1990s. Fuyuki-gun was originally founded by Fuyuki in WAR in 1994 and they beca ...

on several occasions.

World Championship Wrestling (1996)

Morton and Gibson returned to World Championship Wrestling on the June 3, 1996, episode of ''

WCW Monday Nitro ''WCW Monday Nitro'', also known as ''WCW Nitro'' or simply ''Nitro'', is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and broadcast weekly every Monday night on TNT (American TV ...

''. They briefly feuded with The Four Horsemen. They remained with the promotion until October 1996.

Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (1996, 1997)

In May 1996, Morton and Gibson wrestled four bouts for the Japanese promotion

Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling-Explosion (FMW-E) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fir ...

(FMW). At the FMW 7th Anniversary Show in

Kawasaki Stadium is a stadium in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The stadium was opened in 1952 and had a capacity of 30,000 people, but was demolished and rebuilt in 2003 as an American football venue and is now the home of the Fujitsu Frontiers of the X-League. ...

, Morton, Gibson and

Ricky Fuji (born September 27, 1965) better known under his ring name is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Action Advance Pro Wrestling, where he also runs the day-to-day operations. He is perhaps best known for his time with Frontier M ...

defeated Boogie Man,

Crypt Keeper Cryptkeeper or Crypt Keeper may refer to: * The Crypt-Keeper, a narrator from the comic ''Tales from the Crypt'' * '' Euderus set'', the crypt-keeper wasp * Crypt Keeper (wrestler), ring name of José Estrada Jr., a Puerto Rican professional wres ...

, and Freddy Krueger in a six-man tag team bout. 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 and

Hayabusa was a robotic spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to return a sample of material from a small near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to Earth for further analysis. ''Hayabusa'', formerly known as MUSES-C ...

. At the

FMW 8th Anniversary Show FMW 8th Anniversary Show was a professional wrestling event produced by Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW). The event took place on April 29, 1997 at the Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan. This was the eighth edition of the company's flagship e ...

Yokohama Arena is an indoor arena located in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The capacity of the arena is 17,000 and was opened in 1989. The arena was modeled after US sports venue Madison Square Garden in New York City. It is a five-minute walk from the ...

, he and Fuji defeated Dragon Winger and Hido. Morton returned once more in August 1997, teaming with Fuji in the "Super Dynamism" tournament. During the tournament, Morton, Fuji, and

Jinsei Shinzaki Kensuke Shinzaki (新崎健介 ''Shinzaki Kensuke'', born December 2, 1966) is a Japanese professional wrestler and professional wrestling executive, better known by his ring name, Jinsei Shinzaki (新崎人生 ''Shinzaki Jinsei''). He is sign ...

lost to Mr. Gannosuke, The Gladiator, and Super Leather in a " no ropes barbed wire street fight".

Extreme Championship Wrestling (1997)

Morton debuted in the

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

-based promotion

at ECW House Party 1997 on January 11, 1997. He teamed with

in a loss to

; 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 at Crossing the Line Again, losing to Big Stevie Cool.

World Wrestling Federation (1998)

In January 1998, both Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson returned to the

as part of the "NWA" angle as the NWA Tag Team Champions. They lost the titles to

The Headbangers The Headbangers are a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Mosh (Charles Warrington) and Thrasher (Glenn Ruth). They are currently signed to WWE as ambassadors. As the name of the team implies, their gimmick is that they are a pair of ...

on February 17 episode of

Raw Is War ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It currently airs Live television, live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show fe ...

. They competed at

WrestleMania XIV WrestleMania XIV, also promoted as WrestleMania dX raided, was a 1998 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; WWE as of 2002). It was the 14th annual WrestleMania and took place on March ...

in the tag team battle royal won by

The Legion of Doom The Legion of Doom is a group of supervillains who originated in ''Challenge of the Superfriends'', an animated series from Hanna-Barbera based on DC Comics' Justice League. The Legion of Doom has since been incorporated into the main DC Universe ...

. In the spring they feuded with the NWA World Tag Team Champions

New Midnight Express The Midnight Express was the name used by several professional wrestling tag teams of changing members, usually under the management of Jim Cornette. The group started in 1980 with Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose in Southeast Championship Wrestlin ...

Bodacious Bart Michael Polchlopek (born December 27, 1965) is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1993 to 1999 under the ring names Bart Gunn and ...

and Bombastic Bob. This took them to their match at Unforgiven: In Your House which Gunn and Holly won.

Independent circuit (1998–2003)

After leaving WWF in May 1998, they went to work for

Ohio Valley Wrestling Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) is an American professional wrestling promotion, professional wrestling promotion and former developmental territory based in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is currently run by Al Snow, Matt Jones (radio host), Ma ...

and

Power Pro Wrestling Memphis Power Pro Wrestling (Power Pro Wrestling) was a Memphis, Tennessee based professional wrestling promotion that was founded by Randy Hales. It was affiliated with Memphis Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federation. It was the ...

until 1999. Morton then appeared on

Juggalo Championship Wrestling Juggalo Championship Wrestling (formerly Juggalo Championshit Wrestling) is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (Joseph Utsler), better known as the hip-hop duo I ...

's JCW Vol. 1 in a battle royal. On September 7, 2002, he defeated his former rival

at Ultimate Championship wrestling.

NWA Total Nonstop Action (2003)

In 2003, they briefly were part of

Vince Russo Vincent James Russo (born January 24, 1961) is an American professional wrestling writer, booker and pundit. He is notable for his tenures with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop ...

's S.E.X. group in

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busines ...

(TNA). They feuded with

America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Entertainment#Fox Alternative Entertainment, Fox Alternative Entertain ...

. Morton lost to

Kid Kash David Tyler Cash (born July 31, 1969), better known by his ring name Kid Kash, is an American mixed martial artist and retired professional wrestler, best known for his tenures with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), Total Nonstop Action Wre ...

on July 30.

Late career (2003–present)

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, in

Logan, West Virginia Logan is a city in Logan County, West Virginia, Logan County, West Virginia, United States, along the Guyandotte River. The population was 1,438 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Logan County. History What is now Logan was initially c ...

, Morton defeated

in an NWA Legends Match during ASW's Rumble In The Jungle show. On April 27, 2007, in

, at the '' PMG Clash of Legends'' event put on by

Memphis Wrestling Memphis Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2003, Memphis Wrestling evolved from an earlier short-lived promotion called Memphis Championship Wrestling. The promotion became defunc ...

, Morton and

captured the MW Southern Tag Team Championship, defeating Too 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 defeated

Chase Owens Steven Owens, better known by the ring name Chase Owens (チェーズ・オーエンズ ''Chēzu Ōenzu'', born March 7, 1990) is an American professional wrestler signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of House of Tor ...

to win the

. He re-lost the title to Owens on March 7. In 2014, Morton opened a wrestling school, The School of Morton, in

Chuckey, Tennessee Chuckey is an unincorporated community in Greene County, Tennessee. It is located on the Nolichucky River, from which its name is derived. The community is the site of a post office and is assigned zip code 37641. History The defunct East Ten ...

. The School of Morton also operates a promotion called ''SOM Live'', with a weekly

web series A web series (also known as webseries, short-form series, and web show) is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet (i.e. World Wide Web), which first emerged in the late 1 ...

SOM 5:05 Live. In 2016, The Rock N' Roll Express made a special appearance as part of TNA's weekly televised program ''

Impact Wrestling Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (abbreviated as TNA Wrestling or TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a Canadian media company owned by busine ...

Total Nonstop Deletion Total Nonstop Deletion was a professional wrestling special event episode of ''Impact Wrestling'' produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. It took place on December 15, 2016, at the Hardy Compound in Cameron, North Carolina. The event included ...

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 the

. 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 for

and also appeared in

All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...

. 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. In January 2020, Morton entered a rivalry with

Nick Aldis Nicholas Harry Aldis (born 6 November 1986) is an English professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he is a producer and the on-screen general manager of the SmackDown brand. He is best known for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wres ...

, leading to a Heavyweight Championship match on ''NWA Powerrr'' which Morton lost.

Other media

Morton made his

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

video game debut as DLC for

WWE 2K18 ''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K (company), 2K. It is the nineteenth instalment in the WWE 2K, WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to ''WWE 2K17''. It wa ...

along with Robert Gibson.

Personal life

Morton's cousin Todd Morton also wrestled, occasionally teaming with Morton. 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. 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. 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 his

bail Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Court bail may be offered to secure the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when ...

. Morton currently operates School of Morton in

, where he serves as a trainer. He also still works the

and cameos in several films and videos.

Championships and accomplishments

*Golden Corner Wrestling **GCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Robert Gibson *304 Wrestling **304 Championship (1 time) *3XW Wrestling **3XW Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with

Kerry Morton Kerry Morton (born April 4, 2001) is an American professional wrestler signed to National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) where he is the former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion. He is a second-generation ...

*Appalachian Mountain Wrestling **AMW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Kerry Morton **AMW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *World Class Professional Big Time Wrestling **Ohio State Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with

*AWA World -1 South **3rd Annual Old School Tag Team Tournament (2008)– with Robert Gibson *All Star Wrestling (Virginia) **ASW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **ASW Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **ASW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Robert Gibson *All Star Wrestling (West Virginia) **ASW Legends Championship (1 time) *Allied Independent Wrestling Federations **AIWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **AIWF United States Championship (1 time) **AIWF All Star Championship (1 time) ** AIWF Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2015) *Alternative Championship Wrestling **ACW Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *Appalachian Championship Wrestling **ACW Tag Team Championship (2 time)– with Kerry Morton *American Pro Wrestling **APW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * AWA Supreme **AWA Supreme Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Todd Morton *Appalachia Pro Wrestling **APW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

Boca Raton Championship Wrestling Boca Raton Championship Wrestling or simply known as BRCW is an American Independent circuit, independent professional wrestling promotion based in Boca Raton, Florida. The promotion was founded in May, 2022 by Matthew Maschler and Neil Glazier. O ...

**BRCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Carolina Wrestling Association **CWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

**Tag Team Award (2022) – with Robert Gibson *Championship Wrestling **CW Triple Crown Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Wayne Adkins * Continental Wrestling Association / Championship Wrestling Association **

AWA Southern Tag Team Championship The AWA Southern Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the Tennessee area from the 1940s through the late 1980s. It was originally named the NWA Southern Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-America version)'' from its ince ...

( 8 times) – with Sonny King (1), with Ken Lucas (4), Eddie Gilbert (1), and Robert Gibson (2) **

CWA Heavyweight Championship The CWA Heavyweight Championship was a major professional wrestling title defended in the Championship Wrestling Association. It was created through the unification of the NWA Mid-America Heavyweight, AWA Southern Heavyweight and CWA/AWA Inter ...

( 1 time) **

CWA Tag Team Championship The CWA Tag Team Championship was a major professional wrestling tag team title defended in the Continental Wrestling Association. It lasted from 1988 through 1990, when it was abandoned and replaced with the United States Wrestling Association Ta ...

(

2 times "2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...

) – with Robert Gibson (1), and Todd Morton (1) ** CWA World Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Robert Gibson *Exodus Wrestling Alliance **EWA Heavyweight Championship (2 times) *Extreme Wrestling Federation **EWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **EWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with

Chris Hamrick Christopher Hamrick (born October 21, 1966) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint in ECW, though he is also known for his appearances in WWE, TNA and throughout the independent circuit. Professional wrestling car ...

*Great American Wrestling Federation **GAWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with David Jericho *Joe Cazana Promotions **JCP Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural) – with Kerry Morton *

** NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(Mid-Atlantic version)'' (

4 times "4 Times" (stylized as "4 TIMES") is the 50th single by pop/ R&B singer Koda Kumi. It was released on August 17, 2011 and debuted at No. 6, remaining on the Oricon charts for nine consecutive weeks. In commemoration of it being the fiftieth singl ...

) – with Robert Gibson **

(

) – with Thomas Rich and

(1), and Terrence Taylor and Thomas Rich (1) *

**JCW Battle Royal Championship (1 time, current) **JCW Battle Royal Title Battle Royal (2025) *Korean Pro-Wrestling Association **

( 1 time) – with Robert Gibson *

** Memphis Wrestling Southern Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with

Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame The Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame was a professional wrestling hall of fame maintained by the United States Wrestling Association. The induction ceremony for the Class of 1994, the inaugural inductees into the Hall of Fame, took place at the USWA' ...

**Class of 2024 – Robert Gibson *

** Mid-South Tag Team Championship ( 3 times) – with Robert Gibson *Mid-South Wrestling Association **MSWA Tennessee Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **MSWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Robert Gibson *

( 1 time) **

(

) – with Robert Gibson¹ **NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament (1995) **The Anderson Brothers Classic 5 Tournament (2011) **

( Class of 2006) Ricky Morton and Ken Lucas NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship 1983

NWA Mid-America NWA Mid-America was a professional wrestling promotion territory under the umbrella of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) that promoted shows in Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama from 1940 until 1981. The company was founded in 1940 by Nick Gulas ...

NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship The NWA Mid-America Tag Team championship was a tag team title promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion NWA Mid-America that ran more or less exclusively in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, United States, from the 1940s until ...

( 1 time) – with Ken Lucas *NWA Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling ** MACW Tag Team Championship (

) – with Robert Gibson (3) and Brad Armstrong (1) * NWA Rocky Top **NWA Rocky Top Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Brad Armstrong *

NWA Smoky Mountain Wrestling Innovate Pro Wrestling (formerly Championship Wrestling Alliance and NWA Smoky Mountain) is an American independent circuit, independent professional wrestling promotion based in Kingsport, Tennessee. The company was established in 2004 and until ...

** Smoky Mountain Cup (2013) *

NWA Southwest NWA most commonly refers to: * N.W.A ("Niggaz Wit Attitudes"), a hip hop group from Compton, California * National Wrestling Alliance, a professional wrestling organization * Northwest Arkansas, the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers metropolitan ...

( 1 time) – with Robert Gibson *NWA Texas **NWA Top of Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Phoenix *

(

) – with Eddie Gilbert *

NWA Wildside NWA Wildside was an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Cornelia, Georgia, with an office in Atlanta, Georgia, operating between September 1999 and April 2005. It was originally formed when National Championship Wrestli ...

** NWA Wildside Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Robert Gibson *North American Championship Wrestling **NACW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with

Buff Bagwell Marcus Alexander Bagwell (born January 10, 1970) is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Buff Bagwell. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1991 to 2001, where he was a f ...

*North Carolina Wrestling Association **10th Annual Ivan Koloff Tag Team Tournament (2018) – with

Chase Stevens Chase Bradley Stevens (born January 17, 1979) is an American professional wrestler, best known under the ring name of "The Natural" Chase Stevens. He is known primarily for his work in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he was a member ...

**13th Annual Ivan Koloff Tag Team Tournament (2025) – with

*Omni Pro Wrestling **OPW Rock 'n' Roll Cup Tag Team Tournament (2006) – with Aaron Armor *Peach State Wrestling **PSW Cordele City Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' ** Tag Team of the Year (1986) – with Robert Gibson ** Ranked No. 56 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' in 1991 **Ranked No. 95 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003 **Ranked No. 4 of the Top 100 Tag Teams of the "PWI Years" with Robert Gibson in 2003 *

Professional Wrestling Federation Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) was the corporate and brand name of the Tampa, Florida wrestling office existing from 1961, when Eddie Graham first bought into the promotion, until 1987, when it closed down. It is also referred to as ...

**PWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF) and Museum was an American professional wrestling hall of fame and museum located in Wichita Falls, Texas; following the postponement of its 19th induction ceremony, planned for May 2020, and an annou ...

**Class of 2021 – Inducted as a member of

The Rock 'N' Roll Express The Rock 'n' Roll Express is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of professional wrestlers Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton. The duo began teaming together in Memphis in the early 1980s, followed by Mid-South Wrestling (later to be known a ...

*Renegade Wrestling Alliance **RWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Robert Gibson *Revolution Wrestling Authority **RWA Tag Team Championship (1 time)– with Kerry Morton *

SMW Tag Team Championship The SMW Tag Team Championship was the tag team title in Smoky Mountain Wrestling Smoky Mountain Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that held events in the Appalachian area of the United States from October 1991 to December 1995, whe ...

( 10 times) – with Robert Gibson *Southern Michigan Championship Wrestling **SMCW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *

Southern States Wrestling Southern States Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Founded by wrestler Beau James in early 1991, SSW (along with NWA Bluegrass) succeeded Smoky Mountain Wrestling as the top prom ...

**SSW Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **

SSW Tag Team Championship The Southern States Wrestling (SSW) Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship in Southern States Wrestling. It was first won by Danny and Bam Bam Christian when they defeated The Russian Assassins in Hampton, Tenness ...

(3 times) – with

Bobby Fulton James Hines (born October 4, 1960) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobby Fulton. He was one-half of the tag team the Fantastics with Tommy Rogers. Professional wrestling career James Hines started wr ...

(1), Beau James (1), and Ricky Harrison (1) *

Southwest Championship Wrestling Southwest Championship Wrestling (SCW) was a professional wrestling promotion that was owned by Joe Blanchard and based in San Antonio, Texas, from 1978 to 1985, when it was purchased by Texas All-Star Wrestling and absorbed into that company. ...

** SCW Southwest Tag Team Championship ( 3 times) – with Ken Lucas (2) and Eddie Gilbert (1) *Supreme Championship Wrestling **SCW Hall of Fame (Class of 2009) *Total Combat Wrestling **TCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Robert Gibson *Traditional Championship Wrestling **TCW World Tag Team Championship (2 time) – with Dustin Heritage (1) and Robert Gibson (1) *Ultimate Championship Wrestling **UCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times) **UCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Robert Gibson *

( 1 time) **

(

) – with Robert Gibson *United Wrestling Association **UWA Texas Heavyweight Championship (1 time) **UWA United States Championship (1 time) **UWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *UPW Pro Wrestling **UPW Tag Team Championship (1 time)– with Robert Gibson *Independent Pro Wrestling **IPW West Virginia Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Viral Pro Wrestling **VPW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Robert Gibson *Virginia Championship Wrestling **VCW Championship (1 time) *Virginia Wrestling Association **VWA/CCW Heavyweight Championship (1 time) *Wildfire Championship Wrestling **Wildfire Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural) - with Kerry Morton *World Organization of Wrestling **WOW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Robert Gibson *''

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...

'' **

Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to their professions. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Mel ...

(Class of 2014) – with Robert Gibson *

(Class of 2017 — with Robert Gibson) *Xtreme Maximum Championship Wrestling **XMCW Legends And Superstars Championship (1 time) **XMCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tommy Gibson ¹One of their reigns with the title began in Memphis, Tennessee, though the records are unclear as to which promotion hosted the card. During another reign, the championship was awarded to them, though there's no indication of where the titles were awarded nor which promotion they were wrestling for at the time.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morton, Ricky 1956 births 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century American professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century American professional wrestlers American male professional wrestlers Living people Professional wrestlers from Nashville, Tennessee Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum WWE Hall of Fame inductees NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champions NWA World Tag Team Champions WCW World Tag Team Champions NWA Georgia Tag Team Champions USWA Unified World Heavyweight Champions WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Champions