The Duke is back...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 20 Feb 2007, 16:45

Tommy "The Duke" Morrison launches his unlikely comeback on Thursday in a four-rounder in West Virginia against Indianapolis man John Castle.
The big-punching former WBO heavyweight champion hasn't fought since November 1996 in exile in Japan, where he blasted Marcus Rhode in the first. Earlier that year in Las Vegas, he tested positive for HIV prior to a tune up with Arthur "Stormy" Weathers for a showdown with Mike Tyson. "I would have taken Tyson, no problem," said big Oklahoman Morrison, who plunged into the depths of despair and eventually spent 14 months in jail for drunken driving and drugs offences. But worst was the ignorance. "Nobody wanted to talk to me," he recalled after his diagnosis. "It's been 11 years and I've never had a problem, a symptom, nothing."
Recent tests have allegedly proved negative.
Given the lifestyle Tommy once famously led, it's difficult to know what to believe. But tests are far more accurate than they were and 38-year-old Morrison looks in great shape under trainer and ex-pro Jerry Cheatham - and the last thing they lose is their punch. Morrison's record of 46-3-1 (40) includes wins over George Foreman, Razor Ruddock and Pinklon Thomas and 18 in the first round.
Another heavyweight comeback kid, "Baby" Joe Mesi, also appears on the bill in Chester.

E · Post by E » 20 Feb 2007, 16:48

Very weird..... but look at this pic of him...copare this to the skinny photo I saw of him two years ago.

He has the body of a bodybuilder, but with the head of an old man.....

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 20 Feb 2007, 17:19

Why won't Morrison take an idependent HIV test?
If he has nothing to hide then he'd be begging to take that test. But he isn't.
He's either ignorant to the facts, or he's hiding something.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 20 Feb 2007, 18:09

topper123 wrote:Why won't Morrison take an idependent HIV test?
If he has nothing to hide then he'd be begging to take that test. But he isn't.
He's either ignorant to the facts, or he's hiding something.

Topper,

Not sure how "independent was the tests" - but here is what was on his wikipedia entry.

Since December 2006, Morrison had tested negative for HIV on four separate occasions.[1]The head of the Arizona State Boxing Commission personally watched Morrison take a blood test at a lab in Phoenix, and received the official results demonstrating that Morrison was HIV negative.[1]

He could bankrupt the Commisions who suspended him, if he chooses to go that route.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 20 Feb 2007, 18:28

Back on the roids by the look of it.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 20 Feb 2007, 18:37

nickd wrote:Back on the roids by the look of it.

When I immediately saw the picture that what I thought, but his arms don't look that pumped.

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 20 Feb 2007, 19:17

You can have an independent test come back negative if your on the right drugs which Morrisons ex claims he has been for years.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 20 Feb 2007, 21:32

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:You can have an independent test come back negative if your on the right drugs which Morrisons ex claims he has been for years.

From what I have just read on it, there is more of a likely hood of Morrison recieving a false positive result than any drugs that can mask the results of the test.

According to Wikipedia - Morrison could have had a few other deseases (curable deseases) which could have provided with a False-positive HIV result.

There was no mention on the site of drugs which can aid a false-negative response.

Lets hope, for both Morrison and the opponent that it was a false-positive all those years ago.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 20 Feb 2007, 21:34

What is the odds of Morrison vs Tarver in the near future.

E · Post by E » 20 Feb 2007, 21:39

stujones wrote:
nickd wrote:Back on the roids by the look of it.
When I immediately saw the picture that what I thought, but his arms don't look that pumped.

He admitted taking steroids before as I understand in an interview....

But I also am told roids are RIFE in US boxing especially........

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 21 Feb 2007, 04:49

stujones wrote:
topper123 wrote:Why won't Morrison take an idependent HIV test?
If he has nothing to hide then he'd be begging to take that test. But he isn't.
He's either ignorant to the facts, or he's hiding something.
Topper,

Not sure how "independent was the tests" - but here is what was on his wikipedia entry.

Since December 2006, Morrison had tested negative for HIV on four separate occasions.[1]The head of the Arizona State Boxing Commission personally watched Morrison take a blood test at a lab in Phoenix, and received the official results demonstrating that Morrison was HIV negative.[1]

He could bankrupt the Commisions who suspended him, if he chooses to go that route.

thanks for info, I have so many doubts though.
If he was HIV negitive all along, why has it taken this long to produce a negitive test? as he would have been able to produce a negitive test straight after the wrong positive one.
And as you say why hasn't he sued the Commisions and the company that produced the positive test. He would get far more money from that , than any he could earn back in the ring.

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 21 Feb 2007, 05:18

stujones wrote:
Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:You can have an independent test come back negative if your on the right drugs which Morrisons ex claims he has been for years.
From what I have just read on it, there is more of a likely hood of Morrison recieving a false positive result than any drugs that can mask the results of the test.

According to Wikipedia - Morrison could have had a few other deseases (curable deseases) which could have provided with a False-positive HIV result.

There was no mention on the site of drugs which can aid a false-negative response.

Lets hope, for both Morrison and the opponent that it was a false-positive all those years ago.

Magic Johnson also would test negative for HIV because of his medication, he has it though. Morrisons claimed hes not on those meds - his gf claims otherwise. Imagine if Morrison gets a title fight gets cut (more likely as hes clearly on the roids which thins the skin) and infects the then Champ.

I certainly wouldnt blame his opponent for looking to dive at the first opportunity

Wikkepedia doesn't tell us everything my friend and is not completely accurate always.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 21 Feb 2007, 05:58

There was an interesting article on Morrison in the Times recently, I think.

He's said to have those 4 tests, but his "manager" was cagey about the exact details - which must be more than a tad worrying for an opponent if Tommy gets cut...

And Joe Mesi on the same bill says it all really.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 21 Feb 2007, 12:32

Its very odd and I don't like the cageyness of "team Morrison" surrounding the now negative test - form the PR they just brush that aside.

I don't know much about the masking effects of HIV medication (thank god) but surely if he could mask the effects - why didn't he do it sooner. As he always talked of a comeback immediately after his exploits in Japan.

I am sure I have read somewhere that Tommy believes that he had some illness (hense the weight plummett) which could reveal a false positive.

I suppose that as false positives are fairly common (more common than false negatives) that it would be a sure fire thing that he could successfully soon. Maybe he didn't seek out a second opinion untill fairly recently.... and was probably warned that a second opinion would be needed due to the risk of a false-positive.

I don't know.... lots of questions to be answered.... I'm sure this topic will be raised in every fight. Lets just hope it is a false positive, all we really can do now.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 21 Feb 2007, 12:43

E wrote:
stujones wrote:
nickd wrote:Back on the roids by the look of it.
When I immediately saw the picture that what I thought, but his arms don't look that pumped.
He admitted taking steroids before as I understand in an interview....

But I also am told roids are RIFE in US boxing especially........

Oh yeah, more than likely - just a bit surprised his biceps aint bigger.

Nice to see he has worked his neck a fair amount.... He'll need it very strong given his durability problems.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:00

E wrote:Very weird..... but look at this pic of him...copare this to the skinny photo I saw of him two years ago.

He has the body of a bodybuilder, but with the head of an old man.....

that really isn't a boxer's physique, he looks like all he's been doing is jacking steroids and lifting weights. After all the abuse he's put his body through over the years, he ain't going to have much in the way of stamina left.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:18

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
E wrote:Very weird..... but look at this pic of him...copare this to the skinny photo I saw of him two years ago.

He has the body of a bodybuilder, but with the head of an old man.....

that really isn't a boxer's physique, he looks like all he's been doing is jacking steroids and lifting weights. After all the abuse he's put his body through over the years, he ain't going to have much in the way of stamina left.

Its a bit hard to judge from that picture, but I think his arms look quite small. His neck and shoulders look big - With Tommy though that is important.

He never had a rippling stomach before and it does look like a "show off" stomach as opposed to a real old fashioned strong one - still though, Eubank could take a shot to the guts and he had a similar build.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:25

The muscles look ridiculously pumped, he was pretty muscular in his heyday, but the build looked a lot more natural aside from having rather over built shoulders, now he just looks like a gym meathead.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:32

jamesmcdonnell wrote:The muscles look ridiculously pumped, he was pretty muscular in his heyday, but the build looked a lot more natural aside from having rather over built shoulders, now he just looks like a gym meathead.

There are few fighters of that 'built up' physique that have succeeded in boxing - Holyfield and Bruno (although he was naturally big, ripped up and muscular) being two heavies that spring to mind.

As has been said, its not a fighter's physique amd I cant see it aiding Morrison's stamina.

What the chance of Morrison v Tyson in a bizarrely intriguing PPV offering?

I wouldnt be surprised at all.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:36

No one suspects it will be more of a side show than a serious comeback bid.

So a run in a senior circuit - Holyfield, Tyson, Bowe, Moorer, McCall, Mercer II would probably be the avenue, at best it might lead to a fight with Shannon Briggs.

Or maybe a fight with Antionio Tarver.... in a bizzare twist to the Rocky Saga.

Boxingnut · Post by **Boxingnut** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:42

Morrison and Mesi on the same bill and yet Valero can't get licensed in the US.

Boxingnut · Post by **Boxingnut** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:44

Did Ruben Palacio test HIV positive and then years later find out there was a mix-up with the results and he was actually negative?

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:46

stujones wrote:
jamesmcdonnell wrote:
E wrote:Very weird..... but look at this pic of him...copare this to the skinny photo I saw of him two years ago.

He has the body of a bodybuilder, but with the head of an old man.....

that really isn't a boxer's physique, he looks like all he's been doing is jacking steroids and lifting weights. After all the abuse he's put his body through over the years, he ain't going to have much in the way of stamina left.
Its a bit hard to judge from that picture, but I think his arms look quite small. His neck and shoulders look big - With Tommy though that is important.

He never had a rippling stomach before and it does look like a "show off" stomach as opposed to a real old fashioned strong one - still though, Eubank could take a shot to the guts and he had a similar build.

Morrison has admitted to Steroid use and said he could never have got above 200lbs without steroids. Now given his comments and him looking 250lbs of solid muscle, with the tell tail bloated muscles and thin skin, do we think hes juicing or not

JC · Post by JC » 21 Feb 2007, 13:52

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:Morrison has admitted to Steroid use and said he could never have got above 200lbs without steroids. Now given his comments and him looking 250lbs of solid muscle, with the tell tail bloated muscles and thin skin, do we think hes juicing or not

The thin steriod user's skin was what jumped out at me when I saw the pic,

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 21 Feb 2007, 13:55

He looked better with a mullet.