Ricky Morton Speaks Out on Risky Spot at TNA Rebellion: “Leon Gave You His Trust”

Wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Morton is never shy about speaking his mind, especially when it comes to the safety of today’s talent. Following a jaw-dropping — and dangerous — moment at TNA Rebellion, Morton took to social media to call out what he saw as a breakdown in one of wrestling’s most sacred codes: trust.

The incident occurred during the multi-man TNA X Division Championship match, where reigning champ Moose defended his title against five challengers. At one point, rising star Leon Slater scaled a steel beam more than 15 feet in the air and launched himself with a Swanton Bomb onto the crowd of wrestlers waiting below on the outside. But instead of catching him and absorbing the impact — a standard in high-risk spots like this — Slater crashed through them and hit the floor hard. Miraculously, he walked away seemingly unscathed.

Morton, watching from afar, didn’t hold back in his criticism. “I’m disappointed,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Leon gave you his trust and body on the line for an amazing moment & all of you DROPPED him. Thank God he walked away. In our business, trust is everything and his trust may never be the same.”

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express veteran wasn’t trying to throw anyone under the bus, though. In a follow-up post, he urged younger wrestlers to speak up when they’re not fully confident in a planned move. His message was as much about accountability as it was about protection.

“I will add, don’t agree to stuff if you don’t feel confident and comfortable. Speak up. I assure you, it won’t make you any less of a wrestler,” Morton advised. “I just genuinely hoped that everyone could take something from what happened, learn from it, and focus on fixing what’s next. We all make mistakes, myself included.”

The spot has sparked debate online, with some fans applauding Slater’s fearlessness and others echoing Morton’s concerns about safety and timing. Regardless of where you stand, it’s clear the conversation about risk and responsibility in modern wrestling isn’t going away anytime soon.

One thing’s for sure — when a veteran like Ricky Morton speaks, the industry listens.

Moose successfully defended his title against Slater, Matt Cardona, KC Navarro, Sidney Akeem, and El Hijo del Vikingo, and is closing in on 200 days with the title.