Tommy Morrison ... how good was he?

I rate The Duke a B++++ fighter....one who put a lot of fans in the seats, was a good TV draw, and had a puncher's chance in most fights.

He adapted to beat Old Foreman, and became a WBO champ.

 

He could actually box decently, threw excellent combinations, and was pretty quick for such a hulking brute.

He also couldn't take a punch and burned off a lot of nervous energy in his fights, leaving him gasping for air early.

Skills-wise.....yeah, he was the goods. Durability and focus........not so much.

 

Well put.

Also, he partied like madman outside of the ring: broads, booze and drugs. It ruined his focus and cost him big time.

He had the goods, top-rate talent; like so many, that talent never manifested itself in commensurate success.

 

Remember the Bentt loss was essentially in his own home town. And it was supposed to be his stepping stone to a real title match. And he partied big time. And he asked in the limo, "What round did I take him out in?"

 

WBO was not worth a pinch of salt back then. I think that Morrisson was best described as a fringe Top contender. Not in the same class as the best in the world (Lewis, Holy, Bowe, Tyson). Probably not as good as most of the contender fighters (Tucker, Bruno etc), but capable of springing the odd upset or two against these fighters.

 

That's how I see it, too. He had the potential to be a level better than he was, but he was his own worst enemy when it came to reaching it. Sadly, that's a soundtrack that could define many fighters' careers. That and The Goonies.

 

He falls into the best of the rest type of category, a solid B kinda guy who isnt ever going to be a walk in the park when he is at his best. Being one of the fringe guys in the 90s is certainly an achievement.

 

Former WBO heavywieght champion of teh world Tommy Morrison is a Grade B+++++ who had teh potential to be GRade A if he never did catch HIV or party. And he was teh original White Tyson. Prime Morrison was v.much more dangerous then Chagaev, Povetkin And Boystov. Tua is teh only Tyson clone who more dangerous then Morrison, But Tua is Samoan Tyson. Morrison has teh 2nd most powerful left-hook in heavyweight history - only Tua has a more powerful left-hook! Morrison has v.fast hands And mint headmovements. Tommy Duke Morrison VS Mikey Tyson in 1995 would of been ****ing mint, But Tyson ducked fighting him, cos he was scared of been KTFO. Morrison VS Tyson in 1995 is a 50/50 fight imo, And someone is gonna get KTFO in teh 1st 5 Rounds, flip a coin. Tyson more skillful And a bit better Chin, Morrison bigger, stronger, way better footwork And punches more powerful, Stamina equal.

 

I think Morrison was good, certainly not ATG, but he fun to watch, beat some good names.

The Bennt loss is overstated, Morrison was beating the crap out of him and just got too carried away.

One of the top names of the 90s, but not part of the elite and unlike Tua, Morrison actually won a title....

 

Really? Its the Lewis fight that puts that in prespective for you? Not his sparse achievements and inconsistent performances?

I'll give him this, he was smarter than Moorer. Really just a slightly above average Heavyweight better remembered than most because he looked the part and was in a Rocky movie. He found his way in the top 10 a few times..lots of fighters have.

 

B- fighter at his best. Blew hot and cold, got loses he never should have had, had decent fundamentals and good power that were balanced out by a mediocre chin and bad stamina.

When you look at his record he ultimately had three notable wins: outboxing a 44 year old Foreman, pulling a miracle left out of nowhere against Ruddock, and Joe Hipp. Everyone else that he beat and is a name were so far gone in their careers that it was just ridiculous. (I.e Pinklon Thomas and Quick Tillis in '91, Williams in '93, etc.)

 

You can add Ruddock to the list of "so far gone"

 

Definitely. :good

There's no denying Ruddock was Past-Prime damaged goods in '95.

Plus, Ruddock was rusty, coming off a long layoff of 17 months.

 

Amazing at the some of the posts here. Morrison was a B, B- level fighter at best. He was a lefthooker with mental problems which gravely affected his stamina. You could see the change in Morrison after the 3rd round as he began to lose confidence in his stamina, somewhat similar to Shannon Briggs.
Morrison went from an offensive bomber to a pity pat combination punch and runner. His biggest problem was his poor stamina and mental toughness, he could never be a great fighter and the only reason he beat a guy like old Foreman, was similar to why Briggs won, and that was Foreman was too slow, and they could keep him off of them by simple movement.