Micheal Spinks Vs Tommy Morrison

OK, Tommy... rather the Myth of Tommy is a fraud, the idea that he was an elite force in the heavyweight division. He was only twice ranked in the top 10 in Ring's Annual ratings, both times at number 9. What has occurred since his first retirement to inflate his worth so drastically?

Spinks had more than enough artillery to hurt Morrison. Guys like Vaulin, Hipp, Bentt, Purrity and a thoroughly shot Williams did it. Spinks had lightyears more skill. He would find his spot.

I liked watching Tommy but no one at the time really considered him to be a threat to the top of the division. The contemporary rankings support this assertion.

 

Ok that's fair and I agree.

 

Spinks would not beat the focused Ray Mercer that Morrison fought...the same guy who nearly beat Lennox Lewis and gave Holyfield a rough go.

Foster had better power and reach to his game...and it bought him little at heavyweight.

 

Well considering Foreman was ranked as Champion and Ruddock as high as #4 in the 1990's, it shows Morrison belongs.

Now you have gone from fraud to elite force! Quite a revision. A better take is Morrison was a top ten man in a very deep and talented division that featured Foreman, Bowe, Lewis, Tyson, and company. He had the power to win just about any fight, and was in fact denied a shot vs. Bowe by Bowe's manager.

You tell me when the division was better than this:

1992 rankings

Evander Holyfield
Mike Tyson
Rid**** Bowe
Razor Ruddock
Ray Mercer
George Foreman
Tim Witherspoon
Tony Tucker
Lennox Lewis
Michael Moorer

If Morrison was around today he's be the #2 or #3 man in some years with a real chance to upset Wlad.

Outside of an old Holmes, Spinks never beat anyone ranked in the top 30 at heavyweight. Spinks was fraud heavyweight who caught an aging champion without a lot of power and injured at the right time, then took advantage of a washed up C00ney. After fighting Tyson, he knew he did not belong. Why retire at age 32, with lots of money to be made? That is what Spinks did. Lewis and King used political means to get the Holmes fight, then suckered the public into a fight with a washed up C00ney.

 

Firstly, George was not champ when he faced Morrison. The lightly regarded WBO title was vacant.

Ruddock was a shell of a shell of the fighter who was ranked 5 years previously.

You're being extremely selective and misleading with those claims.

I hate to pull the "I was there" card... but I was there. Morrison was an afterthought in the division after Mercer destroyed him. He would scurry about the lower half of the top ten today just as he did in his prime.

 

Yeah I'm not sure how ruddock being ranked in 1992 had anything to do with Morrison beating him in 1995. Muhummad Ali was heavyweight champion in 1978 so does Trevor Berbick get credit for beating " The Champ" in 1981? I don't get this line of logic.

 

Mendoza is right on the money about Spinks.

 

spinks destroys tommy. sheesh tom was nothing in atg terms.

 

I was there too. The Foreman who fought Morrison was younger than the Foreman who beat Moorer.

Morrison won the first three rounds vs. Mercer, and jacked him up with thunderous punches. Spinks would have taken the count early vs. the same punches, perhaps in round 1. Mercer just proved he was super durable, and Morrison didn't train hard enough and punched himself out early. His manager Bill Clayton wanted Morrison in Kanas City to keep an eye on him. Morrison was busy partying and thought he just had too much power.

Ruddock was 31 for the fight with Morrison, and never lost a fight post Morrison. ( won 12 in a row ). Hardly the sign of a shot fighter. In truth Morrison was more impressive vs Ruddock than Tyson was in his 2nd fight with Ruddock.

Those are the facts, but we are talking in circles here.

Final thoughts: I don't think Spinks was a real heavyweight. He was a Roy Jones cherry picker who used Don King's power to get a shot at an aging champion and fight a real no name in a title defense.

Spinks was quickly exposed once he fought Tyson. And he knew it, which is why he quit boxing. Nothing you write will convince me otherwise. I also think you're seriously underestimating Morrison power and speed which were world class. I highly doubt Spinks could take it. One clean hook and he's taking the count. The only man Morrison could not land the hook on was Lewis. That's it.

 

1. How did a 40 year old Holmes easily beat Mercer if he couldn't deal with Spinks?

2. Morrison went life and death with an unranked, inactive, out of shape Ruddock and still may have lost had Lipton not unfairly bailed him out.

3. Ruddock's 12 fight win streak bore a striking resemblance to Morrison's early career resume, so I completely understand how you would value that.

 

You call fighting one time in three years and showing up at what was then a career high weight " excellent?" Not to mention having to rely on a premature stoppage to beat such an opponent?

 

Mercer had motivation and focus issues in the ring. He wasn't close to the same Mercer who defeated Morrison. Besides Holmes jab won the fight. Spinks did not have the range or talent with the jab or the chin as Larry did to take what Mercer landed.

Quick question, which other heavyweight champions do you think Spinks would have beaten from 1960 to current. Ring Magazine or Lineal only.

 

Spinks would be an odds favorite over old foreman, mercer, and Morrison.

I've got him over Leon, old Ali, Briggs, old Foreman, Moorer, Douglas, Ingo and idk against Patterson.

 

The problem with Tommy is that he could be looking like a million bucks, but then he'd hit a wall and fall apart. The Mercer fight is one example.
Tommy did great until two things happened: Mercer stopped being so damned obliging and started hitting back, and Tommy's infamous lack of stamina came into play.
I have trouble picking someone who had a major problem getting past round 5 without gassing badly. It was even a running joke in his own camp. Round 5.

Sure he could beat Spinks. Morrison had skills and walloped like hell, but man his punch resistance wasn't up to much and again that stamina was wretched.
So he outboxed old Foreman. Ok. But Foreman was as slow as a glacier and Tommy had enough footspeed (and sense) to box and move.

I honestly see this playing out much like Spinks' fight with C00ney. Yeah Michael folded early against Tyson but since that was the one and only time he ever lost, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and pick him against a Morrison who could be erratic and was not a fighter who was built to go the distance.
He was for the most part a front-runner who struggled by the halfway mark.