You’ve heard the classic Rudy narrative, where the under-sized football player without any realistic chance of success scores the game-winning touchdown, gets carried off the field as the fans chant his name, and the credits roll for a happy ending to the movie.
That’s nice for film, but the reality of life is much harsher.
On very, very rare occasions, true stories surface like that in real life, and the reason that they stand out is because there are hundreds of other tales of those that are in the other 95% that didn’t make it because the odds weren’t going to be in their favor.
As a commentator in the Pittsburgh area, I’ve seen dozens and dozens of dreamers that were aspiring professional wrestlers in the most charitable sense of the term, the dreamers that were simply fans of the sport, but didn’t have the dedication, talent, or motivation to actually be a part of the sports entertainment business. It’s usually easy to spot, as some of these local yokels wander around with their heads in the clouds when they are supposed to be learning at live cards, wondering why they aren’t a part of that night’s main event because they were allowed to step into the squared circle for a few training sessions.
In short, those that only have the qualification that their check cleared for their wrestling school tuition more or less always eventually flake out and disappear back to play create-a-wrestler versions of themselves on video games.
When I first saw Harley T. Morris staffing a local event in Pittsburgh in 2013, I didn’t think much of it. He was another kid that had the chance to get learn the ropes, good for him, but I would’ve never told him to put much stock in his potential “career” as a pro wrestling. He was a polite youngster that was eager to learn, but the scrawny 18-year-old with a plain buzz cut looked like he should’ve bought a ticket to see the matches, not a pair of boots to participate in them.
“The training was difficult but fair. I got lucky that the people who trained me, Crusher Hansen, Scottie Gash, and Chris LaRusso understood that learning to be a wrestler is already difficult. No need to make it more by beating anyone up,” Morris explained.
In fact, he looked like such a fan that when he originally broke into the sport under the now-defunct Pro Wrestling Express banner, he was given the moniker “Fan Guy” as a way to incorporate his look into a possible wrestling persona. Obviously, he looked the part and storylines would often see him plucked from the front row to try to overcame the odds of a villain.
Make no mistake about it, Harley Morris was a pipe dream of a pipe dream as a wrestler. That’s why it’s quite remarkable how he transformed himself into the serious professional he is today.
“I started training at 18. In my opinion, that was the best because it allowed me to gain experience for such a long time. At 12 years in, I feel like I’m finally hitting my stride and am still, at 31, in my prime,” Harley said.
“I honestly have to give most of the credit for Harley success to Harley. I did have a hand in training The Fan Guy way back in the PWX days, but Harley has outgrown that by so much. Seeing how he stayed hungry, kept reinventing himself, and eventually sought out EC3 shows you the passion he has for this sport,” added Chris LeRusso, who has an accomplished 22-year career of his own.
However, the path that the youngster took to get to the point of where he is today, appearing for NWA Exodus alongside some of the top names in the sport, wasn’t easy or glamours.
The love of the game was there, as he consumed as much of sports entertainment as he could from an early age, using it as a bonding experience with his family. It’s well-known that channel- surfacing was the fulcrum of the Monday night ratings war of the 90s, but Morris family had a better idea. Instead of jumping between USA and TNT on Monday nights, they had two televisions next to each other to be able to watch each broadcast simultaneously.
For the experience side, after his stint as “Fan Guy,” Morris set out to wrestle on any live card he could, zigzagging around the western Pennsylvania area and surrounding states just to get the chance to hone his craft. Sometimes he performed in front of packed crowds, sometimes it was a sparsely-attended event. On the nights that garnered little to no pay, late-night gas station food was his reward for the evening.
At the same time, he dedicated himself to fitness, determined to make the most of his physique. Spending six days a week in the gym, Morris has a regiment that works for him, often checking into the fitness center before the sun comes up early mornings. Monday and Tuesday are his time to focus strength training, Wednesday is strictly cardio, and then the next three days bring a mixture of lighter weight lifting for technique and cardio.
“My journey into fitness started around the time I got into the business. After years of failing, trial and error, and some help from EC3 last year, I finally have a routine that works for me. And of course, eating right is super important,” Harley commented.
The former NWA World Heavyweight champion also indirectly provided a break for Morris after the youngster attended a seminar with the NWA competitor last year, impressing Carter with his in-ring skill. As a result, EC3 offered him a chance to train under the Exodus banner three days a week for a six-month course, with his progress earning him a spot on Exodus events.
“He got my email information and I made the short list of guys to get offered an opportunity to train with EC3 and Rex Brody up in Cleveland that is called the Co-Op in 2024. EC3 runs Exodus Pro, which is a territory of the NWA and he wanted to use the men and women from the Co-Op on shows that earned it. So, that’s how I got the opportunity to work for the NWA with hopefully more opportunities in the future,” Harley said.
The once scrawny kid with the non-descript buzz cut that quite literally looked more like a fan than a competitor bounced through the curtain at NWA Exodus with more than decade of experience, a frame of lean muscle mass from his consistent work out routine, and bleached-blonde hair that reached his shoulders with a robe to add a splash of flamboyance to the presentation. A throwback to the late Buddy Landell, “Handsome” Harley strutted around as a cocky heel that doesn’t hesitant to break the rules, riling up the crowd in the process. Morris cites the NWA experience as one of the highlights of his 12-year career.
“Being featured on NWA YouTube channel as part of Exodus is definitely one. Any time I have won a championship because it showed some kind of faith in me as a wrestler to the promotion. Wrestling in front of close to a thousand fans at KSWA Brawl Under the Bridge is up there. Any time I’m getting a reaction from a crowd to the point it’s almost deafening is always a highlight,” Morris remarked.
So, the kid that was barely out of high school when he started wrestling with a minimal chance of success has built himself into a pro that has impressed some of the most influential eyes in the industry as a serious professional wrestler. Now, Morris looks to take his tenure as a sports entertainer as far as it will go, especially with not only the years of experience that he has behind him, but the potential of his prime years going forward.
“I’d say it is to try to make a living off this great sport I love. Whether that means getting signed to a contract or working enough independent dates to pay my bills,” he concluded.
For more information, you can go to https://www.facebook.com/harley.morris.1481
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
