Tommy Morrison technique and style

Morrison had the same Manger as Tyson ( Bill Clayton ) and used the Cus 'Damoto system. Punches were given numeral numbers. The "7 " for example was the jab.

The entire listing:


1 - Left hook to head.
2 - Straight right to head/right hook to head.
3 - Left uppercut.
4 - Right uppercut.
5 - Left hook to body.
6 - Right hook to body.
7 - Jab to head.
8 - Jab to body.
9 = Elbow

So 7, 2, 3 = Jab, stright right, left hook.

Up close Tyson perfected the 5, 4 / 6, 4 hook to the body ( Either way ) and right uppercut. Mike was very explosive.

Tommy didn't have much of a right hand. He wasn't a very good jabber either, and he was infamous for being hard to train. So this system wasn't for him. He would have been better-suited working on footwork, and defense.

Morrison had tremendously strong shoulders, snap in his hips and shoulders ( Key for the left hook ) and excellent hand speed.

His hook to the body or head on a 1-10 scale for power 10, and the speed which he threw it an 8.5 or nine.

Big this big gun had a stamina problem, and Tommy's power faded a bit in the later rounds. Joe Frazier's hook wasn't as hard, nor did it have the same range, but he could fire it all night long and IMO was even faster.

 

Tommy always seemed too tight and not a great intuitive fighter. The tightness certainly drained the little stamina he had. And when guys didn't tumble over from his power, he seemed a bit clueless.

It's my feeling that he never really got to develop. The personal issues along with the crazy expectations and wearing that mantle of Great White Hope all combined for a stunted development, a guy frozen right where he was when he was discovered.

 

Yeah, he could be tight and nervous, but with some guys, you're better off letting them be comfortable, and not forcing them into a system outside of learning defense!

The only time he really followed a game plan was vs Foreman.

Morrison, if he was in his prime today could be the man to beat.

 

Against Foreman, he ran - often gassed- from an old, immobile man. That doesn't work against almost any other champ of his day or in any day since.

If he were today, he might crack the Top Ten, just as he did in the 90's.

Again, and I hate to play the You-Weren't-There card, but he wasn't considered elite during his prime. He only cracked the Ring Annual Ratings twice. I would pick guys like Joshua, Thompson, Fury, Wilder, Stiverne... to beat him. He might pull an upset off but over the long run, at the elite level, he just never displayed the qualities necessary.

 

He was a good puncher, he punched very hard and reasonably fast for a heavyweight, accurate puncher, good combinations, body attack and head. Relied on his left hook a lot, and it was a cracking one. He was aggressive, he didn't have great defense but he could slip enough punches as he was coming in to land some of his own. He wasn't good enough or special enough to be in the same category as Mike Tyson or Jack Dempsey, but he was along those lines or somewhere towards that kind of style.

His stamina wasn't good, his chin was pretty weak, his defense nowhere near good enough for the elite level.
He was an entertaining fighter, a formidable one in the fringe contender class, he was well managed but never a convincing contender in his own right.

 

He had the skills but not the focus. He would make very costly mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes but in his case, the problems would just snowball. And of course that stamina..

 

Morrison was a very good offensive fighter. He lacked good defense but when it came to just his punches he threw them very well and about as good as anyone. Morrison was also quite athletic and had a lot of heart.

 

I think he was a little better than he's being credited on here. He fought in a very good era . Yes he had his limitations and he wasnt quite an elite fighter. He beat old Foreman,Truth Williams and Ruddock .All 3 were past prime but still good wins.
He would beat many of todays guys apart from the top 3 or 4 i guess. In most era's he would've worked his way up to contender level and maybe got a title shot.He would always be prone to a crazy defeat (Michael Bentt) but generally at his peak, i think it takes elite level guys to beat him.

 

I thought I heard somewhere that he was a converted southpaw ... anyone else hear that, or was it just my wayward imagination?

 

Fine analysis!

 

I actually liked him better before "Rocky V". To me he seemed to muscle up for the movie. After that, I agree, he always seemed tighter with less snap to his punches. In this clip, although green, I thought he fought looser. I think he had really good potential and was progressing then he seemed to lose his way.

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Good point. The movie IMO whilst a good fame move was not a good development move.

The movie curse - Lennox knows about that one.

 

Morrison knocks Wilder out.Wilder does not have a good chin.

 

Seriously? Wilder has a bad chin?

How many times was Tommy floored?

Would be a great match tho for edge of your seat excitement.