Ricky Morton had considerable influence on The Hardys’ in-ring work, especially when it comes to selling in a match.
The Hardys spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about their current position in TNA. The brothers are the TNA Tag Team Champions, but they also take great pride in being used as “living legends” in the company.
During the interview, Matt and Jeff Hardy both referenced their age, noting that they were older and slower, but still had a lot to give the wrestling business. Pritchard noted that age wasn’t necessarily a negative and pointed out how a name like Ricky Morton is still in the business and still cool in many circles.
Jeff said he owed a lot of his career to Morton, including how he learned to sell during a match. He considers Morton a friend and hopes to bring more of that style and drama to TNA.
Jeff Hardy: “Man, I owe a lot personally to Ricky Morton. [He] is the reason I sell like I do. And I’m always trying to make the tag when I’m getting beat up. I mean that came up from just watching him back in the 80’s. And I’m so grateful that he’s a friend of ours. And so yeah, I’ve learned so much by just watching the Rock and Roll Express, The Midnight Express, The Freebirds, and I think some of the stuff from the 80’s. I’m going to be bringing into TNA. I am going to be recycling that here in 2024, 2025.”
Matt Hardy on Ricky Morton
Matt echoed his brother’s remarks, noting how they’ve been lucky to work with him over the years. He said Morton has helped them both out over the years and considers him to be one of the two major influences on his brother’s work.
Matt Hardy: “Ricky is a great guy. And just like Jeff said, it’s great to be able to consider him a friend. Ricky was always so humble and so kind to us. We got him booked for Total Non-Stop Deletion. An event that was filmed entirely at the Hardy Compound. He was in Apocolypto, where we were looking to have all of the tag teams that we could in this match to prove that we were the best in all space and time. It’s what we were doing at that period. So, Ricky was out here and he said, because we utilized him and that became kind of a rebirth for the Rock and Roll Express. He swears up until now like that’s what led to his Hall of Fame induction. And he kind of had a rebirth in wrestling and whatnot. And I’m very grateful of that.
“Ricky has done so much to help us both out. He’s been great to listen to. He’s been great to learn from. And he obviously, majorly, inspired both of us when we were younger. I think Ricky Morton and Shawn Michaels are the two guys Jeff looked to and that made him become such a great seller in the ring. And Jeff says he shines when he sells and he truly does. And I think the people he looked to more than anyone were Ricky Morton and Shawn Michaels.”
Jeff Hardy on his Ladder Match against The Undertaker on WWE Raw
Jeff agreed that his great selling ability was on display during his ladder match against The Undertaker on the July 1, 2002 episode of WWE Raw. The match is still regarded as one of the best RAW matches ever. Jeff said it’s still exciting to watch it back today, also pointing out that today’s wrestlers still use matches like that as inspiration for their own work now.
“Yeah. And that’s one when you watch that match still, there’s one comeback when I fight back and it’s so exciting man, because the people were right there with me. But then he simply lays me out with a punch. But yeah, it’s so exciting still to watch that match now and see how inspiring it was to all these new, young wrestlers that are here, especially in TNA. It’s just so cool when they’ve been inspired by me over the years. So, I’m so proud of that.”
Check out our full interview with The Hardys below:
