tommy morrison r.i.p ?

[evrenb]

Is it true we lost Tommy?
Very sad if true....rip..

Evrenb

[Controversial]

Yes very sad if true, not widely reported but apparently died on the 1st Sept

[loaded_gloves]

Grim news indeed. A long downward spiral for Tommy since 1996. All the forces seemed to be combing to finish him off this year.

A morbid note, but perhaps his post mortem will clear up a lot of the stories surrounding his health.

Regardless of his unsavoury character outside the ring, what a ballsy, exciting fighter inside it. I can't think of a single world class all-out action heavyweight fighting today.

[evrenb]

Grim news indeed. A long downward spiral for Tommy since 1996. All the forces seemed to be combing to finish him off this year.

A morbid note, but perhaps his post mortem will clear up a lot of the stories surrounding his health.

Regardless of his unsavoury character outside the ring, what a ballsy, exciting fighter inside it. I can't think of a single world class all-out action heavyweight fighting today.

I wholeheartedly agree. He was so exciting. I remember late 1980's early 1990's when I was getting into boxing and he started appearing on ESPN every two weeks. Knockout after Knockout. His brawl with Ruddock late in his career is an all time great fight. He must have been under massive pressure early in his career being a talent, a good looking guy and of course white. Horrible racism, but we all know what befell other good white heavyweights of the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's.
I saw a picture of Tommy Morrison about a year or two ago and I sent that pic to fellow boxing friends / family members etc and no one could identify him against the fighter they saw in Rocky V.

I agree that the post-mortem will be very interesting as there has been a huge mystery regarding the HIV/AIDS diagnosis...he denied it of course.

God rest his soul and sympathy and respect to all his family and friends. An amazing character from the world of boxing has left us.

'You never stood in that man's shoes or saw things through his eyes,
Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies,
..
so help your brother along the road no matter where he starts,
For the God that made you made them too, those men with broken hearts'

evrenb

[Controversial]

According to his Facebook page he was diagnosed with "Miller Fisher Syndrome / Guillain Barre Syndrome", looks very rare if thats what he had.

[yancey]

Grim news indeed. A long downward spiral for Tommy since 1996. All the forces seemed to be combing to finish him off this year.

A morbid note, but perhaps his post mortem will clear up a lot of the stories surrounding his health.

Regardless of his unsavoury character outside the ring, what a ballsy, exciting fighter inside it. I can't think of a single world class all-out action heavyweight fighting today.

I wholeheartedly agree. He was so exciting. I remember late 1980's early 1990's when I was getting into boxing and he started appearing on ESPN every two weeks. Knockout after Knockout. His brawl with Ruddock late in his career is an all time great fight. He must have been under massive pressure early in his career being a talent, a good looking guy and of course white. Horrible racism, but we all know what befell other good white heavyweights of the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's.
I saw a picture of Tommy Morrison about a year or two ago and I sent that pic to fellow boxing friends / family members etc and no one could identify him against the fighter they saw in Rocky V.

I agree that the post-mortem will be very interesting as there has been a huge mystery regarding the HIV/AIDS diagnosis...he denied it of course.

God rest his soul and sympathy and respect to all his family and friends. An amazing character from the world of boxing has left us.

'You never stood in that man's shoes or saw things through his eyes,
Or stood and watched with helpless hands while the heart inside you dies,
..
so help your brother along the road no matter where he starts,
For the God that made you made them too, those men with broken hearts'

evrenb

[barry]

There posting on ESPN sportcenter. Morrison did not have good stamina, did not have a solid chin, but he had as pretty and devestating a left hook as you will see. Despite him limitations he was able to compile a very nice record, mostly with that vicious left hook. He was also able to come back from one of the most brutal knockouts in history to be successful...that does not happen a lot to a fighter that gets knocked out the way he did! He was always exciting to watch! The photo of I saw of him about a year ago he had withered down to around 150 pounds, or so and looked really bad, I was suprised that he lasted another year, he was never someone to give up though. RIP!

[loaded_gloves]

The stamina issue is overblown. He came through long bruising fights versus Joe Hipp and Carl Williams, an intense war with Razor Ruddock, kept on the move 12 versus Foreman who was also swinging back nukes.

Morrison punched himself out versus Mercer back when he had been matched so carefully he had never been tested and it was a performance that was held against him from then on.

[Rover]

RIP.

[jimbraddock]

RIP Champ. If there was ever a fighter who didn't get the respect he deserved it was tommy Morrison.

[Rover]

A good guy,

But 'designer drugs' will do you in every time.

We don't know the cause of death yet according to what I read from his promoter.

[HomicideHenry]

The first heavyweight that I was a fan of. When I was a kid I remembered seeing George Foreman on Tuesday Night Fights quite a bit, but I knew Tommy from the Rocky movie and seeing him beat George and others, and in such devestating fashion, was just awe inspiring to a little kid. I was like five or seven years old at the time, and my dad bought me this stack of RINGLORDS cards that the WBA issued out and Tommy was among the pile. I still have that deck of cards in mint condition along with the case it came in.

His left hook was the best of the 1990's among the heavies, and I think in alot of ways the criticisms against his stamina and chin both are unfair. The biggest factor against his successes was that he got way too much way too soon. He would make a million dollars a fight, and he was only 18, 19, 20 years old. Whatever losses he had either came too soon (Mercer), or because he was weakened by the fame, money, and girls. The only losses or dubious decisions I ever saw of his that was disappointing (but it was nothing to be ashamed about) was against Ross Purrity, and that was one hell of an exciting contest anyways.

Those who say he had a soft chin, etc. need only look at his fights with Lennox Lewis, Razor Ruddock, George Foreman and Joe Hipp---- the latter especially, because he fought that fight with a broken jaw. As for his stamina, the first time he ever went twelve rounds was against Foreman, and one can argue the opposition before that were grade C or lower B at best---- no one before that could go longer than eight rounds with Tommy.

Was he a great heavyweight like Marciano, Liston, Dempsey, etc? No. Was he even a strong alphabet champion? No. But here's the thing---- on any given night, when he brought his A game---- every heavyweight, no matter their talent or ability, were going to be in one hell of a fight. He gave most everybody a hell of a time in the ring because he hit so damn hard and was such a fast starter for a heavyweight.

[gilgamesh]

A good guy,

But 'designer drugs' will do you in every time.

We don't know the cause of death yet according to what I read from his promoter.

We've known the Cause of Death for a long time coming.

[evrenb]

What then?

[Rover]

A good guy,

But 'designer drugs' will do you in every time.

We don't know the cause of death yet according to what I read from his promoter.

We've known the Cause of Death for a long time coming.

It's disputed apparently exactly what syndromes he had. I hope the autopsy is released. My comment was also in response to the designer drugs post; I don't know if that had anything to do with his death.

[gilgamesh]

What then?

it rhymes with RAIDS

[gilgamesh]

It's disputed apparently exactly what syndromes he had. I hope the autopsy is released. My comment was also in response to the designer drugs post; I don't know if that had anything to do with his death.

Doesn't really matter what off the wall disease he wound up having towards the end. He had AIDS. AIDS makes your immune system fail and exposes you to virtually any disease.

That's what killed him.

[Rover]

It's disputed apparently exactly what syndromes he had. I hope the autopsy is released. My comment was also in response to the designer drugs post; I don't know if that had anything to do with his death.

Doesn't really matter what off the wall disease he wound up having towards the end. He had AIDS. AIDS makes your immune system fail and exposes you to virtually any disease.

That's what killed him.

I know he tested positive for HIV. Did he ever test positive for AIDS? Magic tested positive for HIV but fortunately hasn't yet gotten AIDS.

[dempseyfire]

People don't directly die "from AIDS" . . they die from whatever virus/infection ends up overtaking the weakened immune system that AIDS renders powerless. It's clear Morrison, from some rare syndrome or whatever, succumbed to whatever killed him due to AIDS destroying his immune system. He had lived with HIV for over 16 years . . .practically no-one lives with HIV for that long without it blowing fully into AIDS.

He was an exciting fighter. He had his flaws but he always showed great heart and his left hook in terms of speed and power was up there with the great ones.

[gilgamesh]

People don't directly die "from AIDS" . . they die from whatever virus/infection ends up overtaking the weakened immune system that AIDS renders powerless. It's clear Morrison, from some rare syndrome or whatever, succumbed to whatever killed him due to AIDS destroying his immune system. He had lived with HIV for over 16 years . . .practically no-one lives with HIV for that long without it blowing fully into AIDS.

He was an exciting fighter. He had his flaws but he always showed great heart and his left hook in terms of speed and power was up there with the great ones.

I know, I pretty much said that.

He had AIDS. AIDS makes your immune system fail and exposes you to virtually any disease.

[bollox]

It's odd reading he was only 44 as he'd been around for what seemed forever

[loaded_gloves]

He had lived with HIV for over 16 years . . .practically no-one lives with HIV for that long without it blowing fully into AIDS.

Actually no, with medicine now you can live a relatively long healthy life, into your 60s.

If you take your medication.

Tommy not only eschewed medication but exacerbated his condition with drugs and a wild life. It's astonishing he lasted as long as he did given his lifestyle.

[bollox]

A mate of mine has Aids and in 1995 a few of us were at the hospital to basically say goodbye. Silly old bastard is still kicking on

Some people react positively to different concoctions of drugs and he's one of the lucky ones

[dempseyfire]

He had lived with HIV for over 16 years . . .practically no-one lives with HIV for that long without it blowing fully into AIDS.

Actually no, with medicine now you can live a relatively long healthy life, into your 60s.

If you take your medication.

Tommy not only eschewed medication but exacerbated his condition with drugs and a wild life. It's astonishing he lasted as long as he did given his lifestyle.

Sorry I meant sans medication, as Tommy did.

[loaded_gloves]

Yeah, sorry, understood.

The lead singer of the 60s band Free has had full blown AIDs for many years now, still alive although naturally not the picture of health. A grim illness.