Tommy "The Duke" Morrison (January 2, 1969 – September 1, 2013) was an American
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...
who competed from 1988 to 2008, and held the
WBO
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...
title in 1993. He retired from boxing in 1996 when he tested positive for
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
. Morrison is also known for his acting career, having starred alongside
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
in the 1990 film ''
Rocky V
''Rocky V'' is a 1990 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen (the first time since the first film of the franchise), written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky IV'' (1985) and is the fifth install ...
'' as
Tommy Gunn.
Morrison had previously attempted a comeback to boxing in 2007 when the Nevada commission lifted the indefinite worldwide suspension in July 2006. His comeback was shortlived and never materialized to anything significant beyond two fights. Morrison retired again in 2011.
In August 2013, Morrison's mother announced that her son was in the final stages of
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
, and he died on September 1, 2013 at the age of 44 from
sepsis
Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...
, septic shock, multi-system organ failure and, ultimately, cardiac arrest.
Early life and amateur career
Morrison was born in
Gravette,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
. His mother, Diana, was
Native American (half
Ponca
The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...
and half
Otoe
The Otoe (Chiwere: Jiwére) are a Native American people of the Midwestern United States. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa, Missouria, and Ho-Chunk tribes.
Historically, t ...
) whereas his father Tim was of
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
ancestry. Morrison was raised in
Delaware County,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, spending most of his teenage years in
Jay
A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family (biology), family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For examp ...
. 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
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
(né Marion Morrison).
Tommy's father urged him to take up boxing at age ten. When Tommy was 13 years old, his mother used a fake ID and entered her son into 15 "toughman" contests (the minimum age for contestants was 21). He later told ''The
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' that he lost only one of these matches.
After graduating from high school in 1988, Morrison received a
football scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the United Stat ...
to
Emporia State University
Emporia State University (Emporia State or ESU) is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Em ...
. In the same year, Morrison won the Regional Heavyweight Title – Kansas City Golden Gloves from Donald Ellis and advanced to the
National Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...
in
Omaha
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
, where he decisioned Javier Alvarez in the preliminaries, decisioned Warren Williams in the quarterfinals, but lost a split decision to
Derek Isaman
Derek Warren Isaman (born April 23, 1967) is an American former professional boxer.
College football
Isaman was played college football at Ohio State University. He was the starting inside linebacker for Ohio State Buckeyes.
Amateur boxing caree ...
in the semifinals. Two weeks later, Morrison took part in the Western Olympic trials in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, 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
Republic is a city in Christian and Greene counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 18,750. In 2019, its population was 16,938, making it the second largest city in Greene County in the U.S. state ...
, at the National Olympic Trials in
Concord, California
Concord ( ) is the largest city in Contra Costa County, California. According to an estimate completed by the United States Census Bureau, the city had a population of 129,295 in 2019 making it the eighth largest city in the San Francisco Ba ...
, July 6, 1988, Morrison lost a 0–5 unanimous decision to
Ray Mercer
Raymond Anthony Mercer (born April 4, 1961) is an American former professional boxer, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist who competed from 1989 to 2009. Best known for his boxing career, Mercer won a heavyweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer ...
, who went on to win the gold medal at the
Seoul Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
.
[ (They also had a prior match-up scheduled to be held June 16, 1988, at the ]Felt Forum
The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is a theater located in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It seats between 2,000 and 5,600, and is used for concerts, shows, sports, meetings, and other events. It is located beneath the main Madiso ...
, New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, but no further information is available on that one as to why it did not happen.)
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.
Professional career
Early career
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. In 1989, Morrison had 19 wins and no losses, 15 by knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
. In 1989, actor Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
observed one of Morrison's bouts. Stallone arranged a script reading and cast Morrison in the movie ''Rocky V
''Rocky V'' is a 1990 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen (the first time since the first film of the franchise), written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky IV'' (1985) and is the fifth install ...
'' as Tommy "The Machine" Gunn, a young and talented protege of the retired Rocky Balboa
Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion), is a fictional title character and the protagonist of the ''Rocky'' film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eigh ...
. 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. That was due to both injuries and his involvement in the movie Rocky V. In 1991, Morrison won four bouts, including notable victories against opponents ]James Tillis
James Tillis (born July 5, 1957) is a retired American professional boxer and actor. Known as "Quick", he was known for his fast hand speed, quite astonishing for a man of his size and build. A natural southpaw, Tillis turned around to orthodo ...
, the first man to take Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...
the distance, and former WBC heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas
Pinklon Thomas (born February 10, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1978 to 1993. He was boxing's first 'Centennial Champion' (1886-1986), and held the WBC heavyweight title from 1984 to 1986, along with being the ...
.
Morrison vs Mercer
Morrison was then given an opportunity to face fellow undefeated fighter Ray Mercer
Raymond Anthony Mercer (born April 4, 1961) is an American former professional boxer, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist who competed from 1989 to 2009. Best known for his boxing career, Mercer won a heavyweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer ...
, the WBO title holder in a Pay Per View
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
card held on October 18, 1991. he fight was a matchup between two undefeated, up-and-coming heavyweights. Initially, the bout was set to take place on August 9, but Morrison had to withdraw after suffering a deep cut while sparring. Mercer contemplated facing a substitute opponent, but it was announced the following week that fight would be rescheduled for October 18.
Morrison got off to a great start, outboxing a sluggish Mercer through the first three rounds en route to taking all three rounds on all three of the judge's scorecards. Mercer would end the fight only 28 seconds into the fifth round. With Morrison backed up into the corner, Mercer was able to land a 15–punch combination. Clearly hurt from the exchange, Morrison slumped against the ropes, but the referee allowed Mercer to land several more punishing blows to a now defenseless Morrison before finally ending the fight. Morrison suffered the first loss of his career, losing by 5th-round knockout.
Career from 1991-1993
He had six wins in 1992, including fights with Art Tucker and Joe Hipp
Joe "The Boss" Hipp (born December 7, 1962) is a retired professional Native American heavyweight boxer. A member of the Blackfeet Tribe, he became the first Native American to challenge for a world heavyweight boxing championship on August 19 ...
, who later became the first Native American to challenge for the world heavyweight title. In the Hipp fight, held June 19, 1992, Morrison was suffering from what was later discovered to be a broken hand and broken jaw, but rallied to score a knockout in the ninth round.
WBO heavyweight champion
Morrison vs Foreman
After two wins in 1993, including one over two-time world title challenger Carl "The Truth" Williams
Carl Williams (November 11, 1959 – April 7, 2013), nicknamed "The Truth", was an American boxer who competed as a professional from 1982 to 1997. He challenged twice for heavyweight world titles; the IBF title against Larry Holmes in 1985; ...
, Morrison found himself fighting for the WBO
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
title again, against heavyweight boxing legend George Foreman
George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister and author. In boxing, he was nicknamed "Big George" and competed between 1967 and 1997. He is a two-time world heavyweight champio ...
. Though the bout was promoted as a match between two of boxing's hardest punchers, neither fighter scored a knockdown nor had their opponent in any real danger. Morrison chose to avoid brawling with Foreman and spent the fight boxing from long range. He was able to hit and move effectively in this manner. Morrison won the bout in a lopsided unanimous decision with two scores of 117–110 and one score of 118–109, which resulted in him becoming the new WBO Heavyweight champion in the process.
Morrison vs Tomashek
Originally, Morrison's first title defense was scheduled scheduled against his Rocky V co-star Mike Williams in August 1993. Williams ultimately withdrew on the night of the fight, so Tim Tomashek stood in as a replacement. Although Tomashek had been prepared to fight as a backup plan, some news reports created the impression that he had just been pulled out of the crowd. Tomashek had been drinking before the bout, not believing Williams to have really backed out, yet still was able to reel off several of Morrison's combinations. The fight was stopped by Tomashek's corner after only four rounds due to him walking to the wrong corner after he was knocked down by Morrison. The WBO was later said to have rescinded their sanctioning of this fight due to Tomashek's lack of experience,[Strange Title Defense For Morrison](_blank)
''Chicago Tribune'' article, 1993-08-31, Retrieved on 2013-09-30 but this was later confirmed to been a rumor as fight records show the fight to have remained a bonafide title bout.
Morrison vs Bentt
Almost immediately, talks of a fight with WBC champion Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a former professional boxer and boxing commentator who competed from 1989 to 2003. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold ...
began for reestablishing him as one of the top heavyweight contenders. Morrison then agreed to the lucrative WBC title shot against Lewis, that would see Lewis make the fourth defense of his title against Morrison, with both men evenly splitting a $16 million purse. However, Morrison first chose to take a tuneup bout against the virtually unknown Michael Bentt
Michael Bentt (born September 4, 1965) is a British-born American film and television actor, and retired professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 1994. Of Jamaican heritage, he was born in East Dulwich, London, but raised in the Cambria Hei ...
before facing Lewis. The decision would prove to be unwise as Bentt brutalized Morrison during their fight, knocking him down three times 97 seconds into the first round in front of a live HBO Boxing
''HBO World Championship Boxing'' (in later years stylized in its title card as ''HBO Boxing – World Championship'') was an American sports television series on premium television network HBO. It premiered on January 22, 1973 with a fight that s ...
audience, after which the fight was stopped and Bentt was named the winner. The loss cost Morrison his title shot against Lewis, as well as a reported $7.5 million that he was to earn in the Lewis fight.
Career from 1994-1996
Morrison recovered by winning three bouts in a row in 1994, but his last fight of the year, against Ross Puritty
Ross Puritty (born December 18, 1966) is an American former professional boxer. A high-level journeyman and occasional heavyweight contender, Puritty is best remembered for his shocking upset of Wladimir Klitschko in 1998 that won him the WBC in ...
, ended with a draw, before he landed a WBO heavyweight title fight against Herbie Hide
Herbie Hide (born Herbert Okechukwu Maduagwu; 27 August 1971) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2010. He held the WBO heavyweight title twice between 1994 and 1999, as well as the British heavyweight title in 19 ...
on the infamous "High Noon in Hong Kong
High Noon in Hong Kong was a World Boxing Organisation sanctioned boxing event. It was to feature four fights: a heavyweight title fight between Herbie Hide and Tommy Morrison; Steve Collins versus American Lonnie Beasley for the WBO middleweight t ...
" card, but the event was cancelled at the last minute due to financial issues. Morrison won three fights in 1995 before meeting former #1 contender Razor Ruddock for the minor IBC heavyweight title.
Morrison vs Ruddock
Ruddock dropped Morrison to his knees in the first round, but Morrison recovered to force a standing count in round two and compete on even terms for five rounds. Both fighters continued to trade power punches in rounds three and four, but Ruddock took control in round five, hurting Morrison with several left hooks and keeping him at bay with his jab. In the sixth round, Ruddock hurt Morrison with a quick combination, but just as it seemed Morrison was in trouble, he countered with a tremendous hook that put Ruddock on the canvas. Ruddock regained his feet, but Morrison drove him to the ropes and showered him with an extended flurry of blows. Just as the bell was about to sound, the referee stepped in and declared Morrison the winner by TKO.
Morrison vs Lewis
Following his victory over Ruddock, Morrison was scheduled to meet former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Riddick Bowe
Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1989 and 2008. He reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1992, and as an amateur he won a silver medal in the super heavyw ...
for Bowe's WBO Heavyweight title, but Bowe pulled out after obtaining a more lucrative fight with Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and is the on ...
. Shortly after the cancellation of the Bowe–Morrison fight, Lewis and Morrison were able to reach an agreement to face one another during the fall of 1995 in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497. . The much-anticipated fight with Lewis, who had also lost his world championship, had finally took place. Morrison was knocked out in the sixth round. Both fighters fought a conservative first round with neither man establishing much power-wise, but Lewis was able to effectively and efficiently use his signature left-jab to keep Morrison on the defensive and had little trouble with Morrison from the second round onwards.
Retirement
In February 1996 Morrison was tested positive for HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
by Nevada Athletic Commission
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, ...
which ended his career at the elite level of boxing, when he was scheduled to fight Arthur Weathers. The Nevada Athletic Commission
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (also known as the Nevada Athletic Commission or NSAC) regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of Nevada, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, ...
determined that Morrison had tested positive for HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
. so the commission suspended Morrison from boxing in Nevada. Several days later, Morrison's physician administered a test, which was also positive. At a news conference on February 15, 1996, Morrison said he had contracted HIV because of a "permissive, fast and reckless lifestyle." Morrison stated that he would "absolutely" never fight again.
At another news conference on September 19, 1996, in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, Morrison announced he wished to fight "one last time" when he could find an opponent, the proceeds of which would benefit his KnockOut AIDS Foundation. A spokesman for the Oklahoma Professional Boxing Advisory Board said Morrison would probably not be permitted to fight in Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
because of his Nevada suspension. Morrison was given an opportunity for a final bout. By invitation of George Foreman, Morrison traveled to Japan in November 1996, to fight on the undercard, headlined by the Foreman himself of his title defense of his Lineal/WBU championship against Crawford Grimsley. Morrison was allowed to fight as anyone who was HIV positive was not prohibited from fighting in the boxing sport within Japan. However the bout was agreed to be stopped if Morrison received a cut. Morrison won against Rhode by TKO, at less than two minutes of the first round.
Comeback
In 2007, Morrison began fighting again. After passing medical tests in Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
licensed Morrison to fight in that state, so in February 2007 he fought and beat John Castle by a second round knockout. In February 2008, Morrison was cleared to fight Matt Weishaar in Leon, Mexico on the undercard, where standard HIV testing before a match did not exist at such a time, and he defeated him by a third round TKO.
In January 2011, the RACJ, the boxing commission for the province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, required that Morrison take a supervised HIV test in advance of a scheduled 2011 fight. Morrison invited the Quebec commission to attend a public test, but the commission did not come. Morrison stated that if Quebec refused to license him, he would "take the dog and pony show somewhere else." Morrison retired again that same year.
Personal life
At one point in 1996, Morrison was married to two women at the same time: Dawn Freeman and Dawn Gilbert. Morrison had two children by age 19. Tommy and Trisha Morrison were engaged in 2009 and married in 2011. Morrison is the father of professional boxers Kenzie Morrison and Trey Lippe Morrison.
Health
In 2006, Morrison said his HIV tests had been false positives
A false positive is an error in binary classification in which a test result incorrectly indicates the presence of a condition (such as a disease when the disease is not present), while a false negative is the opposite error, where the test result ...
. The Nevada commission's medical advisory board reviewed Morrison's 1996 test results and concluded they were "ironclad and unequivocal." Morrison said he tried to get a copy of the original test result but was unable to do so, adding: "I don't think it ever existed." The commission said Morrison could "contact the laboratory, and they would immediately release the results to him."
Morrison tested negative for HIV four times in January 2007. On July 22, 2007, the ''New York Times'' reported that Morrison took two HIV tests in 2007 and a third specifically for the ''Times''. Ringside doctors, including Nevada's chief ringside physician, implied that the negative results were not based on Morrison's blood.
Legal issues
In December 1993, Morrison was charged with assault and public intoxication when he allegedly punched a University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
student. Morrison said that the student had been staring at him. Morrison pleaded guilty and paid a $310 fine, but said he was innocent. In October 1996, Morrison pleaded guilty to transporting a loaded firearm in Jay, Oklahoma
Jay is a city and county seat of Delaware County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,448 at the 2010 census, compared to 2,482 at the 2000 census, a decrease of 1.4 percent. Almost 40% of its residents are Native American, thus Ja ...
; he received a 6-month suspended sentence and a $100 fine. In 1997, an Oklahoma jury convicted him of DUI
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
in an accident that left three people injured; the court ordered Morrison to spend time in treatment.
In September 1999, an Oklahoma court gave a two-year suspended sentence for a DUI elevated to felony level by his previous DUI conviction. On September 16, 1999, 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 1999.[ On January 14, 2000, Morrison was sentenced to two years in prison on the September 16 charges. On April 3, 2002, he was sentenced to another year in prison after violating parole in ]Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...
, but was given credit for time previously served.
Death
In August 2013, Elizabeth Merrill of ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
.com reported that Morrison's mother, Diana, said that Tommy had "full-blown AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
" and was "in his final days." She also stated that Morrison had been bedridden for over a year. The same article also stated that Morrison's wife, Trisha, did not believe Morrison had AIDS.
On September 1, 2013, Morrison died at the Nebraska Medical Center
Nebraska Medicine (formerly, The Nebraska Medical Center, Nebraska Health System), is a private not-for-profit American healthcare company based in Omaha, Nebraska. The company was created as Nebraska Health System (NHS) in 1997, when Bishop Clar ...
in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
at the age of 44. According to the , Morrison's cause of death was cardiac arrest, resulting from multiorgan failure
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis.
Although Irwin and Rippe cautioned in 2005 that the use of "multiple organ failure" or "multis ...
due to septic shock
Septic shock is a potentially fatal medical condition that occurs when sepsis, which is organ injury or damage in response to infection, leads to dangerously low blood pressure and abnormalities in cellular metabolism. The Third International Con ...
caused by a ''Pseudomonas aeruginosa
''Pseudomonas aeruginosa'' is a common encapsulated, gram-negative, aerobic–facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterium that can cause disease in plants and animals, including humans. A species of considerable medical importance, ''P. aerugi ...
'' infection.
Professional boxing record
Exhibition boxing record
Filmography
References
External links
*
*
Tommy Morrison Fight-by-Fight Career Record
at About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, l ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Tommy
1969 births
2013 deaths
American people convicted of assault
American people convicted of drug offenses
American people of Irish descent
American people of Native American descent
American sportspeople in doping cases
Boxers from Oklahoma
Deaths from sepsis
Deaths from multiple organ failure
Doping cases in boxing
Infectious disease deaths in Nebraska
People from Delaware County, Oklahoma
Sportspeople from Arkansas
World heavyweight boxing champions
World Boxing Organization champions
People from Gravette, Arkansas
American male boxers
Native American boxers