Third Generation Wrestler Kerry Morton Talks NWA 74, Ric Flair Calling Him a "No. 1 Draft Pick"

By Liam Crowley

There was once a time when fans could count the amount of third-generation wrestlers on one hand, but as the saying goes, wrestling has more than one royal family. From the Von Erichs to the Harts, numerous wrestling lineages have produced multiple generations of in-ring competitors. Today, another household can be added to that list: Morton. Kerry Morton, the son of legendary tag wrestler Ricky Morton and grandson of referee Paul Morton, has followed in his family's footsteps by calling the squared circle his office. While he has years before he can rival his dad's résumé, Kerry is already off to a hot start.

The 21-year-old sensation entered the game with a lot of eyeballs on him due to his pedigree, and he's already impressed one WWE Hall of Famer. Speaking to ComicBook.com's Liam Crowley, Kerry recalled an interaction he had with Ric Flair ahead of Ric Flair's Last Match.

"Ric Flair kind of points me out," Kerry said. "He said, 'Morton! What's up, boy?' I say, 'Hey Ric, good seeing ya.' Ric Flair comes out to me and he says, 'I've been watching what you're doing recently and I'm really, really a fan. I love what you're capable of and you're just getting started.'

"Then he mentioned to me, he said, 'If there's a draft in professional wrestling, you would be my number one pick.' At 21 years of age that competes with some of the best talent in the world and is on shows time and time again, to hear that from the Nature Boy himself was, it was surreal," Kerry continued. "It made me kind of step back for a second, look at the bigger picture and see. It makes all those things that you think you're failing, you're not doing good at, it pays off when something like that happens."

Kerry has the chance to prove that top prospect praise this weekend, as he's challenging Homicide for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. 

"I've gone back time to time again to watch Homicide. Especially growing up in the independent professional wrestling business, I've seen him time and time again when I was a child in the locker room on the same card or on the same show and time and time again, I would pick his mind," Kerry said of his opponent. "Then when the opportunity came, when I started in December at NWA, [wrestling Homicide] was something on the list. Our first gauntlet match, we had my first debut that the audience had to see me at NWA. I went toe to toe with Homicide for 30 plus minutes. Unfortunately that win was not in my favor that night, but I'm really familiar what I'm getting myself into."

While Kerry is in the deep end already, plenty of young stars with his level of pedigree have dove in these waters head first and swam without issue. Kerry knows other wrestlers were once in a similar position to him, and seeing them reach their ultimate destinations helps keep him motivated.

"I'm a big fan of Cody Rhodes. I know what he's capable of, but what he did in professional wrestling world to go out on his own, chase his own dream, bet on himself, which is most important," Kerry revealed. "That's something that I keep on telling myself is be ton yourself, bet on yourself, time and time again. That's what I continue to do. Cody Rhodes is betting on himself and that's something I look up to. Guys like Randy Orton. Some of these not necessarily older professional wrestlers, but the guys that have been in the game for a while, I really look up to those guys."

Kerry challenges Homicide for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title at NWA 74 this Saturday.

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