Interesting Tommy Morrison Article.

UNLIKE CURRENT GUYS, TOMMY COULD FIGHT!

Throughout history, white prizefighters have always been given a break. Especially, heavyweights! That being said, the last great heavyweight of Caucasian persuasion was none other than Tommy “The Duke” Morrison. Billed as a cousin to western movie icon John Wayne, who was born Marion Morrison, Tommy also reportedly had some Cherokee Indian in him as well. None of this was ever proven as fact, it was just part of the folklore that surrounded Tommy Morrison.

GOT THE “ROCKY V” ROLE

What brought Morrison to mind, was a friend’s kids were watching Rocky V, and they were awed by the suicide blonde Morrison who starred alongside Sylvester Stallone. This really hit home when I informed them that the guy in the movie, he was a real boxer. Turning professional in November of 1988, the ride from that of a pretty face to legitimate heavyweight contender, it was not without peril.

SEX, SEX, & MORE SEX, JUST LIKE ROCK N’ ROLL!

And I’m not talking about the fights in the ring, because obviously at 46-3-1 with 40 KO’s, Tommy didn’t need the helium other white fighters used to convert their record into the balloons they eventually became. It wasn’t in the ring, it wasn’t the fights that got to Tommy, it was an addiction to women and sex! With women coming at him from every direction, Tommy was the type of guy that always had to have a different taste.

MYSTERY REMAINS, HOW DID TOMMY GET HIV?

With a sexual resume that could rival even that of a single Oscar De La Hoya, Morrison played hard at every opportunity. And at the same time, he was doing so for the most part in an unprotected manner. Around the same time, Morrison was thought to be injecting anabolic steroids. So, not even Tommy knows for sure how he contracted HIV, the virus that causes Aids.

DISAPPEARED AFTER HIS LAST FIGHT!

I can recall, promoters, sanctioning bodies, maybe even a TV Network, all saying how they would work to educate people, and boxers in general on HIV. That never happened. Folks today there are states, New Mexico for one, that don’t even test for Aids, and or the more serious strains of Hepatitis. Morrison, after he was “outed” by the Nevada Commission, he fought once in Japan, in ’96 against Marcus Rhode.

ONLY LOST BY KNOCKOUT!

His first loss in 1993, (yikes) to Ray Mercer, was in itself such a brutal beating that it was surprising Tommy had anything left after that! His losing to Lennox Lewis in 1995, and this coming inside of six rounds, that sort of signaled the end of Morrison. It was only a few months later that his HIV test was made public. Having televised his bout with Razor Ruddock, which preceded the Lewis fight, I can tell you that that he would have probably smoked both Wlad & Vitali Klitschko, like a couple of British fags! He beat an aged George Foreman, and Tommy, he could have easily taken out either of the current white hopes. Besides Lewis and Mercer, Michael Bentt, he too beat Tommy via stoppage.

MILLENNIUM HAD MORRISON “LIVING” UNDERGROUND!

Fearing the Y-2K phobia that was prevalent for a time before 1999 became 2000, Tommy locked himself in an underground Arkansas mine. Stocked with food, water, and supplies for months, I’m told it took Tommy six weeks after the passing of Y-2K, before he finally emerged from his self-imposed underground prison. Today, he still lives in Arkansas, only for now he’s above ground!

BEFORE SOME OF YOU GO CRAZY!

In Great Britain, “fags” is not a derogatory term for gay men. Instead, a “fag” is slang in the UK for a cigarette!

Pedro Fernandez

Note: You can contact the writer with your comments Pedro@RingTalk.com

Posted By wes on 28 September, 2005
Pedro,
I am a faithful reader and usually enjoy your work, especially the nose-to-the ground journalism that uncovers the financial exploitation of fighters. Also, kudos for helping to prevent the Luisito Espinosa-Lakva Sim fight. I've seen Sim recently in the gym and he is an absolute killer and with instruction by Joe Goossen is a dangerous fight for any lightweight in the world.
Now praise aside, I think you are letting your obvious dislike for the Klitschkos cloud your judgement when you say that Tommy Morrison (!) would have smoked them.
I am not a big Klitschko fan, Pedro, but come on! Morrison, in his prime, was knocked down twice each by a totally shot Carl 'The Truth' Williams and Ross Puritty. He was stopped in one by Bentt, dropped by Ruddock and had his jaw broken by Joe, ferchristsakes Hipp!
Morrison would have had a puncher's chance against Wlad because of his suspect chin but would probably have lost because of his own chin and a huge size disadvantage. (Remember Tommy boy's fight against Lennox? He looked like a midget.)
Against Vitali, who withstood some tremendous punches against Lennox without going down, Morrison would have had no chance at all.

Keep up the good work sticking up for the fighters.

Wes

Posted By Chris on 28 September, 2005
Pedro,
The last fellow hit it bang on (he made a more compelling, truthful argument against Morrison than you did for Morrison) . While no fan of the Klitschkos either, your hatred of them is becoming way too obvious.

Posted By Pedro on 28 September, 2005
NOBODY hates, or dislikes the Klit bros. I think that they are limited, and that Tommy had more than the both of them!

Do you think Vitali or Wlad could have taken the whipping Tommy did against Mercer? Especially, Wlad? Come on, even if he can win a fight over Sam Peter, that doesn't make him Superman. I admire style, ability, and guts! Vitali is better, but in the grand scheme of things, he isn't great!

Posted By Benny A. Antonio on 28 September, 2005
I agree with you Pedro, Tommy Morrison was much better than any white fighter, american or european,i have ever seen. Except maybe for Rocky Marciano.

Posted By alberto on 28 September, 2005
Rocky Balboa beat Morrison in a street fight, but if Morrison would have been able to lure Rocky into the squared circle, Tommy would have prevailed. The size advantage would have been too much for Balboa.

Posted By Clubber on 28 September, 2005
Speaking of Balboa, why didn't Lang get a rubber match? Instead, Rocky fights a Russian amateur champ???

Posted By usmc on 28 September, 2005
We live in a world of BROWN entitlement not white entitlement. Affirmative action, college grants, BET, or Latino networks, it seems that brown people have their own thing but also want to participate in "whites only" areas. Whats yours is yours but whats white is equally yours. When brown people fail to excell in something there is a "legitimate" excuse but the lack of white participation in boxing could not be the reason. I also love how "brown" people team up and use each others accomplishments to degrade caucasians. What Mexican HW has ever been successful? Of course you will point to the 50 million who participate in the lighter weight divisions. White people are not fighting at Kronk and in all of these urban gyms yet you want to use this to try to racially degrade. Do I degrade you and throw up in your face that everytime you use the telephone, radio, television, airplane, roads, automobile, piano, guitar (basically every musical instrument) that it was a white person that did this and you are this planets biggest ethnic hype machine. Do you know that every sport that you love was invented by whites baseball, football, soccer, hockey, boxing. When do you do something that is so impressive that I want to be a part of it?, never. Stop overrating yourself because you are THE GREAT BROWN HYPE!!!!!!!

Posted By alberto on 28 September, 2005
Looks like usmc has been discriminated against in the past....I feel ya brotha.

Posted By Craig Tucker on 28 September, 2005
I completely disagree. Morrison had no chin and no stamina after 4 rounds. Both Klits would have been too big,strong and skilled. Morrison would have eaten jabs and straight rights all night long.If Tommy was not KO'd early, the Klits would have taken him out in the later rounds when Tommy visably tired. For the guy that said that Marciano was "maybe" better than Morrison, thats just plain dumb. Morrison no where near Marcianos class.

Posted By Sergio on 28 September, 2005
Tommy went 12 rounds, and beat the master of stamina George Foreman. USMC, I think they should pull your comments. He lauded one fighter, compared him to a pair of others, and you go into this "poor white people" bullshit. Hey Whitey, did you know the average WHITE US family has $80,000 in asstes. Hispanics are at $8,000, and Blacks at $6,000. THAT is acording to the Gov! New Orleans further exposed the double, no triple standards in a country where white, it is almost always right!

Posted By Da Man on 28 September, 2005
Morrison was pretty good but you never knew what version you'd get, kinda like Rock Rahman. The guy's jaw wasnt glass otherwise he wouldn't survive 12 rounds with a pre-Moorer George Foreman. But his training and mental preparation were often crap so you never knew if he was a killer like vs Razor or if he'd crash and burn like Bent. Good skills, fluid movement, great punching power. Too bad he didn't have the training discipline of Wladimir.

I heard he had a map on the wall of his training camps with tacks marking all the chicks he'd have sex with. After practice he'd look at the map and decide what he wanted for dinner.

Free Ike Ibeabucchi!

Posted By razatech on 28 September, 2005
This is directed to usmc. You are an ignorant bastard! I can tell you are a racist, whether you are open about it or not. You have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not even going to try to educate you because you are obviously a dumb shit who can't understand anything that remotely requires intellect. I will, however, direct this comment at EVERYONE: If you are part of the privileged of this country, please don't try to explain how or why the non-privileged act, behave, live, think, etc. You don't understand -- you can't understand. Back to the idiot; the reason why whites invented everything is because white America has always had the power, opportunities, and the money. With your way of thinking, you might have the audacity to say some stupid shit like, "Why are the scores of k12 students in New Orleans so low this year? These black kids are lazy and they lack brains." Stay focused, and let's keep this about boxing. One of the things I love about this sport is that you will find a hard-core boxing fan in every corner of the world. We have something in common regardless of race, color, or religion.
Peace.

RAZATECH

Posted By KP on 28 September, 2005
To add to your comment Razatech the reason white's had a lot of inventors was due to inequality. There were inventors besides whites so don't let what he said fool you. White Males had the power and used it to keep disciminate agianst others(they used the constitution/law to justify this)blacks, women, other peoples color. Basically I agree with everything you said. I know this is a boxing forum, but that doesn't mean we don't have the right to talk about other topics and speak our point of view. I just thought the comments by USMC were totally unneccessary, and when you make generalizations about people you obviously have not been exposed to the people you are referring to. A whole race of people do not think the same way by any means. Just the thought of that is pure ignorance.

Posted By Craig Tucker on 28 September, 2005
Why is there so much racism? Why does Tommy Morrison have to be a good "white" fighter? Why cant you say that he was a good fighter? I think USMC is just a racist pure and simple. The initial article carries a covert racism while USMC demonstrates overt racism. Why do we pay so much attention to race? Why dont we try to be color blind?

Posted By Matt Q on 28 September, 2005
Pedro: I was never a fighter so I have to probably miss many things that trained observers can see. However, I can't imagine Morrison beating Vitali Klitchko and I would favor Wlad over him because of the height difference and Morrison's questionable training.

I have a slightly odd perspective about white fighters: I resent them until they have proven themselves. I usually assume that they are being pushed ahead in order to appeal to a wider audience. If they prove themselves then I appreciate them as much as any other fighters.

Before anyone makes any assumptions about me: I am white. I watch fights to see talented competitors, not pretenders who take airtime away from more deserving fighters. This applies to pretenders of all shades.

Why do fans spend so much time watching heavyweights, anyway? I know the general and casual fans don't usually know better but serious boxing fans know that most of the over 200 pound club don't produce much in the way of effort, much less action.

Posted By pete on 28 September, 2005
cute story about Tommy Morrison. He was more Hollywood then Skill but still a top ten figher at one time. Forgot about Frans Botha Everybody? He was the W.B.C. champ I believe for a little while. He did got K.O.'d by Lewis and Tyson. But, was beating Tyson and Tyson got Lucky. MOreover, he held a version of the heavyweight title. He is also competing in K-1 Fights and actually has beaten some world ranked Mixed Martial Art fighters. Who would win Botha or Morrison?

Posted By Ryan. on 28 September, 2005
Morrison was fairly entertaining to watch and feel he would have gotten to Wlad no problem. I dont care either way, I just would hate to see a matchup of the jab and grab faith, Wlad and Ruiz.

Posted By john m on 29 September, 2005
morrison was a decent fighter...certainly not great...

i have to say...that i love pedro`s columns....but,lord.....the racial and political stuff would make one think that pedro is the one with the hatred in his heart...

everything is colored and white...republican and democrat....

i feel sorry for pedro...it must be very uncomfortable being in that skin...

here`s a clue...try and accept each individual based on his or her merits and/or flaws...

a novel approach...but,it seems to work...

btw...i`m crushed that mabuza/marquez was postponed...you can take all the other fights this weekend and throw them in the river...

and i agree with matt q...the heavyweights are currently pathetic...why bother when the marquez bros,morales,corrales,barrera,pacquaio,winky,b.hop et al are still active and on their games...

Posted By usmc on 29 September, 2005
All I did is what Pedro did and call blacks/latino's hype in other areas that to you are insulting, and I got slammed for being racist. Don't you think it bothers me when people write like this and all I am trying to do is enjoy this sport and pull for my favorite fighters (who are diverse). The fact is that the Klitschko brothers appear to be good men who rate some form of respect and at the end of the day that is the most important thing in life.

I have only been on this earth for some 30 years and to treat me as if I am priviledged when you have no clue as to how my life has played out as an individual human being is ignorant and racist, and when you feel so comfortable to lump whites in a group, which is a no no when we talk about ethnic people.

One thing I do feel is that brown people in general have become so free to insult whites while it is basically criminal for a white person to even defend him/herself.

Steve Kim at Maxboxing wrote an article "White Guy's Can Fight" could you imagine an article "Black/Latino Guy's Can Think". It just seems that only whites are tought to practice diversity/sensitivity and if you look at Europe, Canada, Australia, and the US it seems only those countries are ethnically diverse and not south of the border, Africa, China, Japan, or the Middle East, and many move there to tell that population how great there culture is and to accept diversity, hypocrisy knows no bounds sometimes.

And as far as the one racist comment above that tried to claim that white inventions were actually the brown people they stole them from you need to understand that European/white history and acheivement was going on long before 1492.

You seem to have no problem bragging about something you are doing or have done but when we take pride it is racism, grow up. I am sorry if whites cramped your modern, inventive, or cosmopolitan style of living prior to colonialism.