Kerry Morton is really enjoying the time he’s getting with his father in the ring.
Morton spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard to promote JCW Lunacy, the weekly pro wrestling series presented by Juggalo Championship Wrestling. During the conversation, Morton spoke about getting a chance to work with his father, Ricky Morton of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express, in the ring.
Kerry and Ricky have teamed before, but finally competed as opponents this year. Kerry knows his father’s career is winding down, but emphasized how much the opportunity means to him.
“During the match, I rolled outside of the ring, and my father hit me with the Canadian Destroyer—one, two, three. I wear this face in wrestling of not showing character or emotion, but the cameras were on me, and all I could do was smile,” Kerry explained. “It got a little emotional. It was neat. My father is closing down his wrestling career, and wrestling is all he’s ever known.
“He doesn’t want to give it up, and I understand that. Father Time is always going to be the winner. To have the opportunity to be on the road with him for three days, lead everything into the match at Game Changer Wrestling, and be a part of JCW Lunacy and the National Wrestling Alliance was truly heartwarming and heartfelt, to say the least.”
Ricky Morton is slowing down just yet
Kerry isn’t sure how much longer his father will wrestle, but he’s not showing any signs of slowing down just yet. Ricky is figuring out the balance of continuing to help the next generation, and Kerry teased that coaching could be in his father’s future as well.
“I think as long as my father is having a good time, isn’t jeopardizing anything, isn’t hurting himself, and is still able to give his best, he’s willing to keep his boots on for a bit longer. He did have a small injury recently—just a pectoral muscle issue. But he’s leaning into the aging side of professional wrestling. He knows wrestling is demanding, and he doesn’t want to give it up. He still wants to be heavily involved; he doesn’t want to sit behind the curtain.
“[My dad] wants to help young talent, talent like myself and others, who are following in the path he paved. He wants to bring back the old-school mentality, recreate old matches, and help structure that stuff. He’s very particular about doing it, and he’s made a few phone calls recently. God willing, I hope they all become reality for him because I know he deserves it, and he wants to make the most out of these opportunities.”
Kerry Morton shares that his father is very community-driven
Kerry admits that while he tells his father to slow down, he also knows that actually doing that as a lifelong wrestler is harder than it sounds.
“He says, ‘Once I sit down, that’s when I get old.’ It took me a moment to understand that. That’s why he keeps himself active—he’s in the gym at 6 o’clock every morning, walking around town, and doing a lot of things for charity in our local area. For instance, he just had some GCW exclusive trading cards, and he posted them on his Facebook and social media.
“He’s very hands-on with the community. Every card he sold this past weekend—he’s shipping them out today. He’s handwriting the postal notes and sending them through USPS. But all that money goes to children, toy drives, and food for families this Christmas. A lot of people don’t know that my father is incredibly community-driven.”
Kerry said that his father will buy new wrestling gear for talent to help them on their journey, hoping that a small gesture makes a big difference.
“I could talk about my dad every day and how much he’s my hero. I don’t take it for granted; I was once that kid who looked up to wrestlers with cool wrestling gear and the latest boots. That stuff doesn’t come cheap, and it doesn’t come easy—especially for guys like us, grinding on the independent scene every day, not making big bucks, paying for travel, food, and barely scraping by. So having that little extra income to help get wrestling gear and boots for others is something I’m forever grateful for, and I hope to continue doing it throughout my career.”
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