Kerry Morton, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Morton, aims to win some gold at NWA 74. Specifically, he’ll look to take home the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship from Homicide when they clash on Saturday.
In an interview with WrestleZone, Morton previewed the bout by describing how it means a lot to him that NWA President Billy Corgan is giving him the opportunity to face a renowned veteran like Homicide. He also discussed the personal importance of the title, as his father has held it before, as has his close friend Chase Owens.
“Billy Corgan went out of his way to say, ‘This business means so much to me. It’s something I grew up on, I got away from, and I came back. Because it’s truly a part of me,'” Morton said. “It gets you thinking, like you’re here for certain reasons, why you’re here and why the ability that they would put the trust in someone like me, especially to wrestle Homicide, one of the most badass wrestlers on the scene. Quite frankly, still today. You hear people such as Samoa Joe, and then you think of people such as Homicide, and these crazy names that you get to lock horns with. That’s something that’s stepping up with me is I get to go in the locker room, I earned my way to this opportunity to wrestle for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship.
“Now, hopefully the timing’s right, the place is now, and Kerry Morton’s opportunity awaits. I would love to have the championship around my waist, something that my father had, something that one of my best friends in the wrestling business had, Chase Owens, and so many other names that come about. So it’s humbling to know that I get to wrestle for this championship, but just know, I’m not gonna take it light, I’m not gonna take it easy. I’m going in there with the mindset of becoming the next NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion.”
Morton also addressed the gap in experience between himself and Homicide, as the latter has been wrestling since 1994, whereas Kerry wasn’t born until after the turn of the century. He made it clear that he’d trying to keep an open mind, and while he has a game plan for the bout, he knows that things can rapidly go sideways.
“I definitely think so,” Morton said. “I have my work cut out for me. As I go back and I watch these tapes and I watch the study of know, I know what’s cut out. I would like to think that I have my game plan noted and ready to go, but in a matter of moments, things can change, especially when you get hit in the match. Everything changes then. So what I would like to just simply think right now is, ‘Kerry, take your time, go in there open-minded, and go in there either ready to take an ass-whooping and always stand back up on your feet.’ That’s the momentum I’m gonna go in with, and just clear and open-minded. I think that’s how you have to go about these bouts time and time again. This one is gonna be short I can believe of spectacular.”
The young star emphasized that he’d like to win the title on Saturday, but his long-term dream is to capture the world title, and this quest is his driving force as he continues his wrestling journey.
“As of now, I wanna have that championship around my waist,” said Morton. “But the Ten Pounds of Gold, Sweet Charlotte. My goodness. People often dream, but never succeed, and that’s something that I’ve been manifesting is one day, I wanna have that championship around my waist and show my face, especially with the current [lineage] with Nick Aldis, Trevor Murdoch, Cody Rhodes. Just to think, Kerry Morton’s name could be upon those, and that’s something that’s really cool and kinda keeps me rolling when I get out of bed and I attend class or I’m doing work here at him. It kinda gets you rolling like go to the gym, go to wrestling practice, go to acting class, or go to something just to make sure to lead up to opportunities such as that.”
Moving forward, Morton made it clear the he enjoys being in the NWA, and he hopes to establish his name in line with some of the other greats who have carved out their own legacies throughout the promotion’s proud history.
“I currently love being at the NWA. I plan on hopefully re-signing a contract here soon, if it comes to that. I’m proud to be here, and I hope to hold some more gold in the National Wrestling Alliance and establish my name among the greats.”
NWA 74 will be held at The Chase in St. Louis on August 27 & 28. More information is available here.
