Ricky Morton

In 1985, Morton debuted for the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) alongside his tag team partner Robert Gibson, as the Rock 'n' Roll Express. Ricky and Robert had a major feud with the "Russians", Ivan and Nikita Koloff and won the WCW 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, Jim Cornette's interference. Cornette used his tennis racket on Robert to help his team win.

Fearing that his self-proclaimed sex appeal with women was being threatened by Morton, WCW Champion Ric 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 of tween 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 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. 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 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 would also make fun of Morton, calling him "Punky Morton". 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 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 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 and Manny Fernandez on December 6, 1986, whom they feuded with from December 1986 to June 1987. When Rude left for the World 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 the New Breed, Sean Royal and Chris Champion, but this feud ended when the New Breed were injured in an auto accident. Their next feud was with Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard, who won the title from them on September 29, 1987 after Jim Cornette's new Midnight Express of Bobby Eaton and Stan 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.

After leaving for a stint, Morton and Gibson returned to World Championship Wrestling in 1990. Gibson injured his knee and Morton teamed with Big Josh and Junkyard Dog to win the WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.

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. 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 and Terrence Taylor. He changed his name to **Richard Morton** and they soon added Tommy Rich, who became Thomas Rich. They feuded with Gibson, Dustin Rhodes and Bobby Eaton and won the WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Title. At The Great American Bash in July 1991, Morton defeated Gibson. In October 1991 at Halloween Havoc, Morton lost to Flyin' Brian in a bout for the newly created WCW Light Heavyweight Championship.

They disbanded in early 1992 and Morton was used as a preliminary heel jobber where he teamed with various heels like Diamond Dallas Page. Morton made his last WCW television appearance in a match against Barry Windham on July 18, 1992.

Morton and Gibson returned to World Championship Wrestling in January 1993, feuding with The Heavenly Bodies. They appeared at SuperBrawl III and defeated Heavenly Bodies.

In 1993, Morton and Gibson debuted in the World Wrestling Federation on the September 27, 1993, episode of *Monday Night Raw*, defeating Barry Hardy and Duane Gill. At Survivor Series on November 24, 1993, they lost the championship to The Heavenly Bodies (Tom Prichard and Jimmy Del Ray), 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.

Morton and Gibson returned to World Championship Wrestling on the June 3, 1996 episode of *WCW Monday Nitro*. They briefly feuded with The Four Horsemen. They remained with the promotion until October 1996.

Morton debuted in Extreme Championship Wrestling at ECW House Party 1997 on January 11, 1997. He teamed with Tommy Rich in a loss to The 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 at Crossing the Line Again, losing to Big Stevie Cool.

In January 1998, both Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson returned to WWF. They lost to The Headbangers on the February 17 episode of *Raw is War*. They competed at WrestleMania XIV for the tag team battle royal won by The Legion of Doom. In the Spring, they feuded with the New Midnight Express (Bart Gunn and Bob Holly). This took them to their match at Unforgiven: In Your House, which Gunn and Holly won.

In 2017, The Rock 'n' Roll Express were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.