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Wrestling On Christmas Night?

Posted: Dec 23rd 2010 By: CMBurnham

Climb into the ring.

Find a corner, stare down a wild-eyed opponent.

So it goes for wrestler Ricky Morton.

Morton continues his 35-year career on Christmas night. He tops the bill for Championship Wrestling Association?s event Christmas Chaos at Appalachian Fairgrounds? Farm and Home Building in Gray, Tenn.

?He?s a wrestling legend,? said Tony Givens, owner of and wrestler in the Kingsport-based Championship Wrestling Association. ?He?s at the tail-end of his career and he wants to give back to wrestling.?

Do not misread that.

Though long in the wrestling tooth, Morton still manages quite a bite. Take his match at Christmas Chaos.

?Christmas night is a big night for wrestling,? Morton said. ?Even Walmart and McDonalds are closed. After you open your presents on Christmas morning, there?s nothing else to do. So, come on out to Gray!?

Morton won?t be standing sedate at ringside. He numbers one of six combatants in the night?s main event, which is billed as a grudge match, a free-for-all of sorts.

?They?re bringing me in to help settle the grudge,? Morton said with a laugh.

Morton stands out on the night?s bill. He?s the only nationally known name. He has wrestled some of the sports entertainment?s most legendary of wrestlers including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Blackjack Mulligan.

?Buddy, Ric Flair would tell you that he and I once wrestled 17 nights in a row with one hour time limits,? Morton said. ?Things like that stand out.?

Odds are that each wrestler at Christmas Chaos hopes to someday reach the big time of WWE wrestling status. Odds also are that few if any will ever make it.

?It?s a one in a million chance. It?s probably easier to make it in the NFL,? Givens said. ?WWE keeps only about 60 or 70 guys under contract. That?s only 60 or 70 guys in the entire world while thousands of guys want in. It?s a total long shot.?

Morton made it. He was that long shot, and through the years he fought like a lion and endured an intense physical grind to keep it.

?Sometimes it takes triple A to get me out of bed in the morning,? Morton said with a laugh. ?I?ve had my shoulders knocked completely out. My fingers are all crooked. Sometimes you see some gruesome stuff. It?s hard.?

Morton has wrestled for about 35 years. He made his name as one half of the championship duo the Rock-N-Roll Express primarily in the NWA.

?He?s had a great career,? Givens said. ?And now he?s like a mentor for all of us. He wants to teach and groom the younger guys.?

Morton certainly tells them one thing for sure. Wrestling isn?t fake. Outcomes of matches are predetermined, which negates wrestling from the category of sport. Naturally, the actually gouging of eyes and maneuvers such as a pile driver are not really exercised. Well, not on purpose anyway.

?Wrestling is not fake,? Morton said. ?I believe. Just hitting the ropes, which are steel cables, it hurts. Come in and try it out and you?ll be walking sideways.?

Injuries happen. Yes, genuine injuries, which of course are not fake.

?I saw Tony land in the ring one time in Kingsport and he thought he broke his neck,? Morton said. ?I?ve seen guys get paralyzed.?

Meanwhile and for 15 years Morton has called Bristol, Tennessee home.

?I love Bristol, Tennessee,? Morton said. ?There?s not another town anywhere like Bristol.?

Though well past age 50, he wrestles up to five times per week all over the southeast. But he said he loves it here most of all, in the Tri-Cities and wrestling with the CWA.

?Those guys do a great job,? Morton said. ?To the people in the Tri-Cities, come on out and see us. It?s a great family event.?

Supplemental Information

Spotlight in History

1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Title
2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Title
2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Title

Week of Sun 04-26 to Sat: 05-02

04-26 2008 Jerry Bostic def. Joshua Smith for the 3DW Violent Division Title
04-26 2008 Shane Rawls def. Ky-Ote for the 3DW Heavyweight Title
04-26 2014 Buster Cherry def. Bud Barnes for the SWCW All-American Title
04-26 2014 Chaz Sharpe def. Kevin James Sanchez for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
04-26 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Warhammer for the SRPW Heavyweight Title
04-26 2024 Miranda Gordy def. Sgt. Slice for the CPW Women’s Title
04-26 2025 Deacon Hendrix became the RWE Heavyweight Champion
04-26 2025 Family Affiliated (Athan Sorrow & Rika Wildlee) became the RWE Tag Team Champions
04-26 2025 Gluttony became the RWE United States Champion
04-26 2025 Bishop Simon became the RWE Light Heavyweight Champion
04-26 2025 For God And Country (Pastor Brent & Corporal Punishment) def. The Main Characters (Sean Ryan & Daniel Aaron Michalles) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
04-27 1978 The Assassin became the TSW Louisiana Champion
04-27 1981 Junkyard Dog & Dick Murdoch def. The Grappler & The Super Destroyer for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
04-27 2003 The Sharpe Brothers (Chaz Sharpe & Rich Sharpe) def. John O'Malley & All-American Aaron for the ACW Tag Team Titles
04-27 2003 Se7en def. Aaron Neil for the ACW Hardcore Title
04-27 2008 Tyrone def. Jerry Bostic for the 3DW Violent Division Title
04-27 2019 Brandon Groom def. Brian Dixon for the BPW Lion Heart Title
04-27 2019 Doc Black became the BCW Heritage Rivalry Champion
04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Title
04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Titles
04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Title
04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Title
04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Title
04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Title
04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Title
04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Titles
04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Title
04-29 2006 Carnage def. Rexx Reed for the ACW Hardcore Title
04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Title
04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Title
04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Titles
04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Title
04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champions
04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
04-30 1971 Toru Tanaka def. Johnny Valentine for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Title
04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Title
04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Title
04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Title
04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Title
04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Title
05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Title
05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Title
05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
05-02 1975 Mad Dog Vachon def. Billy Graham for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Title
05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Title
05-02 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
05-02 2015 Kareem Sadat became the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
05-02 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Title

05-01

Prince Maivia May 1st Today!
Americos May 2nd
Kari Wright May 2nd
Barrett Brown May 2nd
Don Fields May 2nd
Big Bossman May 2nd
Nightmare [1st] May 2nd
Lily McKenzie May 3rd
Lester Welch May 3rd
Johnny Humble May 3rd
Malik Mayfield May 4th
El Hijo del Mascara Sagrada May 4th
Bull Schmitt May 4th
Dory Funk May 4th
Jay Hazzard May 4th
Miss Diss Lexia May 5th
Princess Victoria May 5th
Pat O'Dowdy May 5th
El Matador Dos May 5th
Maria Brigitte May 5th
Bill Watts May 5th
Olivier Vegos May 5th
Zane Morris May 5th
El Gallardo May 5th
Claire Watson May 6th
Hercules May 7th
Richie Adams May 8th
Jake Danielsson May 9th
Billy Brown May 10th
Tito Santana May 10th
Sunny War Cloud May 10th
Jerry Brown May 10th
Rook Tyler May 10th
Psycho May 11th
Charming Charles May 11th
Big J May 11th
Sensei Jamo May 12th
Bill Howard May 12th
Brock Baker May 12th
Sol Yang May 12th
Dave Ryda May 13th
Little Boy Blue May 13th
Prince Mahalli May 13th
Maggie Rae May 13th
Karl Krupp May 13th
Lars Manderson May 13th
Pete Maguire May 13th
Stan Kowalski May 13th
Danny Hodge May 13th
Payton Scott May 13th
Shawn Bragan May 14th
C. M. Burnham May 14th
Robert Fuller May 14th
Tommy Rogers May 14th
Scott Irwin May 14th
Steve Williams May 14th
Big Van Vader May 14th

1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Title
2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Title
2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Title

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