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Tommy Morrison
Tommy Morrison (January 2, 1969 – September 1, 2013) was an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competed from 1988 to 2009. Best known for his left hook and formidable punching power, Morrison won the WBO heavyweight title in 1993 with a unanimous decision victory over George Foreman. He lost the title in his second defense to Michael Bentt that same year. Morrison's other boxing highlights include his fight with Ray Mercer in 1991. In 1995, he won the minor IBC heavyweight title when he defeated Donovan Ruddock by technical knockout (TKO). He retired from boxing in 1996 after he tested positive for HIV. Morrison is also known for his acting career, having starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in the 1990 film Rocky V as Tommy Gunn.
Morrison made a brief comeback to boxing from 2007 to 2008 when the Nevada commission lifted the indefinite worldwide suspension in July 2006, and briefly dabbled in the world of MMA. As a mixed martial artist, he scored a notable first-round knockout win over Wyoming state heavyweight champion Corey Williams in 2009, which ultimately became the last fight Morrison ever had in combat sports before his final retirement due to his declining health that began in 2012 after a chest surgery on December 1, 2011 due to an insect bite to his chest.
On September 1, 2013, Morrison died at the age of 44 from sepsis, septic shock, multi-system organ failure and, ultimately, cardiac arrest.
Morrison was born in Gravette, Arkansas. His mother, Diana, was Native American (half Ponca and half Otoe) and his father Tim was of Irish ancestry. Morrison was raised in Delaware County, Oklahoma, spending most of his teenage years in Jay. His nickname, "The Duke", is based on the claim that he was a grand-nephew (or otherwise distant relative) of the Hollywood star John Wayne (né Marion Morrison), nicknamed "Duke". Tommy's father urged him to take up boxing in the 1970s. When Tommy was 15 years old, his mother used a fake ID and entered her son into a "toughman" contest (the minimum age for contestants was 18). He later told The New York Times that he lost only one of these matches.
After graduating from high school in 1988, Morrison received a football scholarship to Emporia State University. In the same year, Morrison won the Regional Heavyweight Title – Kansas City Golden Gloves from Donald Ellis and advanced to the National Golden Gloves in Omaha, Nebraska, where he decisioned Javier Alvarez in the preliminaries, decisioned Warren Williams in the quarterfinals, but lost a split decision to Derek Isaman in the semifinals. Two weeks later, Morrison took part in the Western Olympic trials in Houston, Texas, defeating Robert Hargrove by a 4–1 majority decision in the semifinals, and John Bray by a 5–0 unanimous decision in the finals, and qualifying for the nationals, and garnering the "Outstanding Fighter" award of the tournament. Two weeks after that, fighting out of Republic, Missouri, at the National Olympic Trials in Concord, California, July 6, 1988, Morrison lost a 0–5 unanimous decision to Ray Mercer, who went on to win the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics. (They also had a prior match-up scheduled to be held June 16, 1988, at the Felt Forum, New York City, but it is not known why it did not take place.)
As an amateur, Morrison claimed 222 fights (most of which were local match-ups), with the 1988 Olympic Trials being the top of his amateur career. His amateur record is 202 wins, 20 losses.
Morrison started his professional boxing career on November 10, 1988, with a first-round knockout of William Muhammad in New York City. Three weeks later, he scored another first-round knockout. On June 11th, 1989, Morrison fought a boxer who was HIV positive named Richard "Ricky" Nelson. Nelson died of AIDS related complications on March 21st, 1990. Morrison knew about this when he fought, but did not say anything because "Tommy believes in privacy", according to Morrison's friend and promoter Tony Holden. They also did not say anything when he first got diagnosed in 1996 because they believe it was "obvious" that Morrison did not get HIV from his fight with Nelson. In 1989, Morrison had 19 wins and 0 losses, 15 by knockout. That same year, actor Sylvester Stallone, after watching one of Morrison's bouts, arranged a script reading, and cast Morrison in the movie Rocky V as Tommy "The Machine" Gunn, a young and talented protege of the retired Rocky Balboa. Morrison took a six-month break from boxing to work on the movie in 1990. From December 8, 1989, until June 8, 1990, Morrison did not compete in a boxing match, due both to injuries and his involvement in Rocky V. In 1991, Morrison won four bouts, including notable victories against opponents James Tillis, the first man to take Mike Tyson the distance, and former WBC heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas.
Morrison was then given an opportunity to face fellow undefeated fighter Ray Mercer, the WBO title holder in a Pay Per View card held on October 18, 1991. The fight was a matchup between two undefeated, up-and-coming heavyweights. The bout had been scheduled for August 9, but Morrison withdrew due to an injury.
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Tommy Morrison
Tommy Morrison (January 2, 1969 – September 1, 2013) was an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competed from 1988 to 2009. Best known for his left hook and formidable punching power, Morrison won the WBO heavyweight title in 1993 with a unanimous decision victory over George Foreman. He lost the title in his second defense to Michael Bentt that same year. Morrison's other boxing highlights include his fight with Ray Mercer in 1991. In 1995, he won the minor IBC heavyweight title when he defeated Donovan Ruddock by technical knockout (TKO). He retired from boxing in 1996 after he tested positive for HIV. Morrison is also known for his acting career, having starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in the 1990 film Rocky V as Tommy Gunn.
Morrison made a brief comeback to boxing from 2007 to 2008 when the Nevada commission lifted the indefinite worldwide suspension in July 2006, and briefly dabbled in the world of MMA. As a mixed martial artist, he scored a notable first-round knockout win over Wyoming state heavyweight champion Corey Williams in 2009, which ultimately became the last fight Morrison ever had in combat sports before his final retirement due to his declining health that began in 2012 after a chest surgery on December 1, 2011 due to an insect bite to his chest.
On September 1, 2013, Morrison died at the age of 44 from sepsis, septic shock, multi-system organ failure and, ultimately, cardiac arrest.
Morrison was born in Gravette, Arkansas. His mother, Diana, was Native American (half Ponca and half Otoe) and his father Tim was of Irish ancestry. Morrison was raised in Delaware County, Oklahoma, spending most of his teenage years in Jay. His nickname, "The Duke", is based on the claim that he was a grand-nephew (or otherwise distant relative) of the Hollywood star John Wayne (né Marion Morrison), nicknamed "Duke". Tommy's father urged him to take up boxing in the 1970s. When Tommy was 15 years old, his mother used a fake ID and entered her son into a "toughman" contest (the minimum age for contestants was 18). He later told The New York Times that he lost only one of these matches.
After graduating from high school in 1988, Morrison received a football scholarship to Emporia State University. In the same year, Morrison won the Regional Heavyweight Title – Kansas City Golden Gloves from Donald Ellis and advanced to the National Golden Gloves in Omaha, Nebraska, where he decisioned Javier Alvarez in the preliminaries, decisioned Warren Williams in the quarterfinals, but lost a split decision to Derek Isaman in the semifinals. Two weeks later, Morrison took part in the Western Olympic trials in Houston, Texas, defeating Robert Hargrove by a 4–1 majority decision in the semifinals, and John Bray by a 5–0 unanimous decision in the finals, and qualifying for the nationals, and garnering the "Outstanding Fighter" award of the tournament. Two weeks after that, fighting out of Republic, Missouri, at the National Olympic Trials in Concord, California, July 6, 1988, Morrison lost a 0–5 unanimous decision to Ray Mercer, who went on to win the gold medal at the Seoul Olympics. (They also had a prior match-up scheduled to be held June 16, 1988, at the Felt Forum, New York City, but it is not known why it did not take place.)
As an amateur, Morrison claimed 222 fights (most of which were local match-ups), with the 1988 Olympic Trials being the top of his amateur career. His amateur record is 202 wins, 20 losses.
Morrison started his professional boxing career on November 10, 1988, with a first-round knockout of William Muhammad in New York City. Three weeks later, he scored another first-round knockout. On June 11th, 1989, Morrison fought a boxer who was HIV positive named Richard "Ricky" Nelson. Nelson died of AIDS related complications on March 21st, 1990. Morrison knew about this when he fought, but did not say anything because "Tommy believes in privacy", according to Morrison's friend and promoter Tony Holden. They also did not say anything when he first got diagnosed in 1996 because they believe it was "obvious" that Morrison did not get HIV from his fight with Nelson. In 1989, Morrison had 19 wins and 0 losses, 15 by knockout. That same year, actor Sylvester Stallone, after watching one of Morrison's bouts, arranged a script reading, and cast Morrison in the movie Rocky V as Tommy "The Machine" Gunn, a young and talented protege of the retired Rocky Balboa. Morrison took a six-month break from boxing to work on the movie in 1990. From December 8, 1989, until June 8, 1990, Morrison did not compete in a boxing match, due both to injuries and his involvement in Rocky V. In 1991, Morrison won four bouts, including notable victories against opponents James Tillis, the first man to take Mike Tyson the distance, and former WBC heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas.
Morrison was then given an opportunity to face fellow undefeated fighter Ray Mercer, the WBO title holder in a Pay Per View card held on October 18, 1991. The fight was a matchup between two undefeated, up-and-coming heavyweights. The bout had been scheduled for August 9, but Morrison withdrew due to an injury.