Tommy morrison boxer died yesterday

Morrison's license was quickly suspended by Nevada, and the ban was, in effect, upheld by every other sanctioning body. Morrison said at a news conference in that he'd never fight again, blaming his plight on a "permissive, fast and reckless lifestyle. He had already run afoul of the law inwhen he pleaded guilty to assaulting a college student.

He also dealt with weapons charges and multiple DUI incidents over the years. Morrison was finally sentenced to two years in prison inand another year was added to his sentence in for violating parole. When he was released, Morrison said his HIV tests were in fact false positives, and he wanted to resume his career. He passed medical tests in Arizona — even as Nevada stood by its decision to suspend his license — and returned to the ring.

Morrison fought twice more in his career, winning once in West Virginia and for the final time in Mexico. He finished with a record of with 42 knockouts. If you watched basketball, you at least respected Magic. If you loved rap, you might have stashed a copy of Straight Outta Compton. Yes, because a life-shattering diagnosis is a just reason to disparage a guy for getting knocked out by Lennox Lewis the previous summer.

He did endure a personal shame very few could ever understand. He is not a cautionary figure in the way that Eric Wright became after very well-known tommy morrison boxer died yesterday or a redemption story written by a publicly reborn Earvin Johnson. In fact, his sudden denial of his status as part of his attempted comeback in was a reminder of everything he was not: that very Great White Hope, that next great heavyweight, that All-American boy from hardscrabble beginnings, that guy on his way to crossover superstardom if he kept on winning.

Instead of a significant chapter, Tommy Morrison is a footnote in sports history. He had a starring role in "Rocky V" alongside Sylvester Stallone. And perhaps most memorably, Morrison tested positive for HIV when the virus still carried a significant stigma, only to declare later the test was false. Along with numerous legal issues, including a prison sentence that stemmed from weapons and drunk driving,Morrison's name became attached to headlines that would eventually overshadow his work in the ring.

There's no one with that talent today. Tommy would absolutely dominate if he were in his prime boxing today. Morrison won his first 28 professional fights, beating faded champions such as Pinklon Thomas along the way. His career reached its apex in the summer of with a unanimous decision over Foreman, then in the midst of his comeback, to claim a vacant title.

Morrison was in line for a high-profile bout with Lewis when he was upset by Bentt in Tulsa, Okla. He was knocked down three times and the fight was called before the first round ended. I'll be back. Morrison said that the student had been staring at him. On September 16,the police stopped Morrison for driving erratically and found drugs and weapons in his car, which resulted in various drugs and firearms charges.

While awaiting trial on the September 16 charges, Morrison was again arrested on charges of intoxication and weapon possession while a felon in November The World Boxing Organization said people would remember Morrison best for his dangerous punching power and especially his left hook. After his death, the International Boxing Hall of Fame said Morrison brought "so much excitement and energy to the heavyweight division in the s".

Two-time heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas said Morrison hit like a baseball bat and rated him ahead of Mike Tyson as the hardest puncher he had faced. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. American boxer — This article is about the boxer.

For other persons of the same name, see Tom Morrison disambiguation. Early life and amateur career [ edit ]. Professional career [ edit ].

Tommy morrison boxer died yesterday

Further information: Ray Mercer vs. Tommy MorrisonGeorge Foreman vs. Tommy MorrisonTommy Morrison vs. Michael BenttTommy Morrison vs. Donovan Ruddockand Lennox Lewis vs. Tommy Morrison. Early career [ edit ]. Morrison vs. Mercer [ edit ]. Career from — [ edit ]. WBO heavyweight champion [ edit ]. Foreman [ edit ]. Tomashek [ edit ]. Main article: Tommy Morrison vs.

Tim Tomashek. Bentt [ edit ]. Ruddock [ edit ]. Lewis [ edit ]. Retirement [ edit ]. Comeback [ edit ]. Morrison vs Weisharr [ edit ]. Cancelled bouts in Texas and Montreal [ edit ]. Mixed martial arts career [ edit ]. Personal life [ edit ]. Health [ edit ]. Legal issues [ edit ]. Death [ edit ]. Legacy [ edit ]. Professional boxing record [ edit ].

Mixed martial arts record [ edit ]. Professional record [ edit ]. Exhibition record [ edit ]. Filmography [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Retrieved CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 April Sports Illustrated. The Sportsfan Journal. The Guardian.