Lee Moriarty says dyeing his hair was a way to emulate NBA legend Dennis Rodman.
Moriarty had been featured as an up-and-coming wrestler in AEW after he signed with the company in 2021, as he wrestled in multiple matches on TV. But his run with the company received a boost this past summer, when he aligned with Stokely Hathaway and subsequently became a member of The Firm, a stable that was initially led by MJF. Around this same time, Moriarty dyed his hair green.
Speaking on Talk Is Jericho, Moriarty recalled how AEW President Tony Khan asked him if he’d be comfortable dying his hair. Khan told him that the change would come with a big push, which turned out to be Moriarty’s pairing with The Firm. When asked why he thought Khan wanted him to dye his hair, Moriarty stated that he thought it was MJF’s idea, and the pitch was framed as a reference to Rodman, both with his physical and his unique look. He noted that the idea might have been an attempt to bring more energy out of him.
“I think it was Max’s idea, but when Tony asked me, he couldn’t say the name,” Moriarty said. “So he basically referenced Rodman, and the idea was that it was Dennis Rodman. Dennis Rodman was the enforcer of the group, this intense guy. I remember watching the Michael Jordan documentaries, and Rodman was saying,’ Anytime they go to the bucket, you put them on the ground.’ That’s the thing.
“My job is to put people on the ground, when I was with The Firm. Well, when I was with MJF, because we were on retainer. So this was not a faction. This was MJF, he hired us. We were mercenaries. We put people on the ground. Also I think it was, you ever watch one of the Rodman documentaries? They talk about how Rodman starts coming more out of his shell when he starts to dye his hair because that’s when he gets to express more of his personality and things like that, he starts painting his nails, he wears the crazy outfits and all that. So I think that was their thing, like, ‘Hey, maybe this will help being a little more energy out of him.’”
Moriarty went on to describe how he has ideas as to how he could make his colorful hair his own thing. Overall, he wants to bring his non-wrestling interests into his in-ring career, as he’s determined to showcase more of his personality.
“I have ideas to make it my own. It’s just figuring out how to do it,” Moriarty said. “I have thought, I haven’t done it yet, but putting words referencing my opponent or the storyline I’m going on, in my head, just different stuff because I’m inspired by so many things outside of pro wrestling, I wanna bring those into wrestling. In time, people are gonna see me turn up more and see my personality, who Lee Moriarty really just is, not just as a wrestler, but as an artist because that’s who I am outside the ring.”
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