Mercer vs Morrison. Was that fight proof that Tommy just wasnt gonna make it..?

Two guys who could have been a lot better. Morrison had awful trainer, a former high school gym coach he stayed loyal to. Bill Cayton no longer had JIm Jacobs as partner, and did not know how to properly manage him.

Mercer was wrecking machine, good punch, great chin, but let self go physically just as he started becoming contender. He showed how bad he lost desire in Ferguson fight scandal, when he offered bribe to opponent in middle of main event. Mercer and Morrison had potential, both blew it.

 

Here is one article on Mercer vs Ferguson match.


http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/24/s...describes-offer-of-bribe-from-ray-mercer.html

 

he loved women drugs and partying more so than training, he never put a fight plan together, except in the foreman fight, if he fights ray like that he wins.

good combo puncher with nice power, but not dedicated enough like so many others.

 

Morrison was great for the first 3 rds. He just didn't expect Mercer to be so rugged and tuff.. Had Morrison calmed down after the second round and switched-up on his game plan, he might've out-boxed the ponderous Mercer.?.? Morrison just punched himself out by round 4 and then hung-on to be KTFO in round 5 by Mercer......

MR.BILL

Note:

Morrison knew how to throw nice and tight combo's with precision.... He just was roided up to be 220+ pounds and had a shaky chin...

 

agree with all of this, morrison says he was on roids for his whole career .

 

I too believe he would have eventually fought Lewis, but it takes longer than 3-4 rounds.

Lewis would have knocked him out in 6.

 

I don't think so, a slugger with limited stamina not being able to top a pressure fighter with a granite chin and mean pop himself doesn't prove he wasn't gonna make it, there are alot of champs past and present I'd favour Morrison over. Losing to Lewis past your prime is nothing to be ashamed of.

I'm probably gonna catch some flack for this but I think Morrison could have quite a bit of success against Holyfield, particularly if he faced one of the more 'off' versions.

 

I see what you did thar.

 

?? he did fight Lewis, why does everyone seem to think that he didnt?

 

Morrison DID fight Lewis.

 

Nice post. Why Morrison never upgraded his trainer puzzles me.

As for the Mercer fight, prior to the fight, Bill Cayton keep saying "Its the right fight at the right time" which was horribly wrong.

Mercer was one of the worst guys Morrison could fight, being a guy with a excellent chin, who could punch.

Just terrible match making by Cayton.

All in all though, overall Morrison had a very successful career. But like many, if not most, he didn't or couldn't manage his finances.

 

In hindsite its easy for us to sit back and say that. But at some point, he was going to have to take that step up. He was already 28-0 and had beaten aged versions of Thomas and Tillis. Had Cayton kept putting him in the ring with Ken Lakusta and Bobby Crabtree type fighters, we'd be sitting here today talking about how protected he was. There simply was no way to get to the top of the early 90's heavyweight ranks without running into a few durable guys who could crack, as Bruce Seldon would discover later that spring.

 

that's right,...if he fought Mercer like he fought Foreman he would have won.