Rip Morgan
Rip Morgan, born Michael Morgan on August 20, 1957, in Wellington, New Zealand, is a former professional wrestler who competed in the NWA, WCW, and WCCW. He wrestled under several names, including Rip Morgan, The Crusher, The Thing, The Real Thing, Ripper Morgan, and Bigfoot. He debuted in 1983 and retired in 2002. He’s best known for teaming with Jack Victory as The New Zealand Militia in WCW and later as The Royal Family, and he was the last flag bearer for the original New Zealand Sheepherders.
Morgan started his career in New Zealand, winning the NWA New Zealand Heavyweight Championship in 1983. He moved to the United States in 1984 and worked with the Sheepherders as their flag bearer, learning wrestling technique along the way. In 1985 he wrestled as Bigfoot for WWF, then teamed with Jonathan Boyd as the Kiwi Sheepherders and won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship in Memphis. The team had famous feuds with The Fabulous Ones and The Fantastics.
He later wrestled in World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas as The Thing and The Real Thing, and he had a notable match against Kerry Von Erich. Morgan joined Jim Crockett Promotions, which became WCW, and appeared in major events such as Clash of the Champions. In 1989 he formed The New Zealand Militia with Jack Victory; in 1990 they became The Royal Family with manager Lord Littlebrook. They competed for the WCW United States Tag Team Championship and appeared in Starrcade-style tournaments.
After WCW, he wrestled as The Maulers with Victory in the Global Wrestling Federation and also had a run in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. He wrestled in Germany in 1993, where he was known for performing a Maori haka before matches. Morgan retired in 2002 and returned to New Zealand to promote wrestling, eventually serving as CEO of Kiwi Pro Wrestling (a Wellington promotion that is now defunct).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:02 (CET).