Dax Harwood knows that the pro wrestling world can learn plenty from Ricky Morton.
FTR’s Dax Harwood spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about Ricky Morton’s legacy in the pro wrestling business. The Rock N Roll Express is widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest, babyface tag teams in pro wrestling history.
Harwood was asked what today’s generation could learn from Morton, who still competes in the ring at age 68. Harwood joked about needing some time to summarize it all, then highlighted what made Morton stand out, noting it all starts with getting fans invested.
Dax Harwood considers Ricky Morton to be the ultimate babyface
“Ricky, to me, is the personification of a babyface. Because he was five foot ten, a 200-pound guy. Very undersized, didn’t have a great body, but people believed in him. They believed in him because he knew when to fight back, he knew how to throw hands,” Harwood explained. “He didn’t just go do flips and and high spots and all these things. Because at the end of the day, you gotta make the people believe in you. You’ve got to make them believe that one, you can kick ass, but two, you can come back.
“He was the greatest seller. Because there were times when you couldn’t tell it was real or if he was working. He knew when to throw one right punch and then he would go back down instead of standing face to face and trading back and forth. He knew when to throw one right hand and sell right back down, and when that heel came back, he’d fire one more punch off and the people would start to believe in him.
“And so those facials, that body language, those are the things that you can get from Ricky Morton. Timing and ring presence and knowing when to stop and just sell, all you have to do is sell. That’s one thing is lost. People think they know what selling is. Wrestlers think they know what selling is and they think they’re selling in the moment. It is almost, as cliché as it is to say, it’s almost a lost art, but Ricky’s got it down pat now.”
Dax Harwood believes Ricky Morton should have a bigger role in pro wrestling today
FTR had a match with the Rock N Roll Express in January 2022 for Big Time Wrestling, and Harwood still considers it a personal favorite. He said Ricky asked him how old his dad was, noting that they were similar ages at the time. Ricky said to take it easy on them, but Dax told them that wasn’t possible, and had a match that he considers to be the Rock N Roll Express’ best one in several years.
“I said, ‘Ricky, with all due respect, you’re wrestling with FTR tonight. You’re going to have to step up for us.’ And I told both of them, ‘I respect you guys, but I know Rock N Roll Express better than you know Rock N Roll Express.’ Because I’m the biggest mark in the world, right? I said, ‘Trust us and let us call this match.’
Harwood said they had the finish called in the back, but everything else was called in the ring. He believes the 22-minute match was the best match Morton and Gibson had since working with the Midnight Express at Halloween Havoc 1990. Harwood also believes Morton should have a prominent role in the wrestling business now because of what he offers talent.
“Ricky is someone that deserves to be a millionaire in our business. He’s someone that deserves to have a job in our business right now,” Harwood said. “He’s so great, so smart, and can teach so many people so many things. If it’s up to me, I’ll I’ll make sure he’s taken care of.”
Watch our full interview with Dax Harwood below:
