Razor Ruddock vs Tommy Morrison

I though the stoppage was a bit premature myself. Ruddock's best days were pretty far behind him by this point. I would have picked a 1990-1991 Ruddock to spark Morrison.

 

Very good heavyweight fight between two big punchers. That left hook Morrison landed was something devastating and completely turned the tide of the fight.

It's funny, but I think had Morrison not gotten to Ruddock at the end like he did, he would have lost. Ruddock was in trouble but hanging on, and Morrison looked to have very little left.

Chances are in the next round, Morrison would have come out completely gassed.

Ruddock was often his own worst enemy. He fought too much like a gunslinger; firing from the hip. Had he used his brains more, he could have accomplished more in his career.

 

The way that fight was going, it wouldn't have surprised me a bit to see Razor come back and get the W. That was back and forth action in every sense of the word.

I strongly agree with the part in bold and I also think Morrison fits that description, as well. Unfortunately, but understandably, it's a tough feat to not fall in love with your firepower the way those guys did. I've seen guys who were shot not drop as fast as some of the fighters who happened to be on the wrong end of their KO's.

 

Agreed. Ruddock was way past his best by the time of this fight, and he had been pretty inactive leading up to this fight. Morrion and his team picked Ruddock at the right time. The Ruddock of the Tyson fights would have bludgeoned Morrison.

 

every time i watch the clip of this fight ..especially when i can rewind it...it seems like a very premature stoppage.... Ruddick immeidately complained and all through the barrage from Morrison...Ruddock seems clear headed but tired...the punches that snapped his head back at the end had very little leverage on them and Ruddock seemed to take them ok even with the way that his head snaps back...a shame ...one of the most possible exciting rounds could have occured in the next round if the fight had not been stopped....

 

we can also say tommy had seen better days himself

 

I don't know. He was still in his late 20's and had noticeably improved since his devastating loss to Mercer 4 years earlier. Granted, the guy never amounted to an elite force, but he was at least beating better men than the Tillis's, crabtree's, Acey's and other bums that he had padded his record with in years past.. Ruddock was further past his best than Morrison was to say the least, yet he still had a chance at winning that fight despite.

 

Indeed,

Ruddock had only fought one time within a near three year period since losing badly to Lennox Lewis, and that one fight was an unimpressive win against a pure journeyman. The accuracy of his left hook was clearly off, his ability to take a big shot was still there but had probably diminished some, as had some of his power. As chinny as Morrison was, had Ruddock nailed him with the same shot that put Dokes to sleep in 1990, the fight would have been over with pretty quick..

 

stopped to soon..........ruddock inactive........

 

On paper this fight looked to be a blowout. Morrison got pretty far for having one good punch, no stamina and a horrible chin. Just goes to show you how shot Ruddock really was at the time.

 

That's exactly what Ruddock said. Something like "he was dead tired, had we come out for the next round, he's dead". Just a bad stoppage. Ruddock complained bitterly.

 

Yeah and he complained when he was reeling against the ropes in the Tyson fight, but he was about to get his head knocked off if that fight would have continued. These fighters know the rules, you cant stay motionless against the ropes after being badly hurt, the ref will stop the fight. Its a bad excuse to complain after, there is no breaks in boxing, you gotta show you still have your wits together by at least attempting to fire back. This fight is a perfect example, Morrison was hurt and Ruddock had him going and Morrison threw the haymaker and it landed.

 

He did have skills though. That hook of his was an unbelieveable punch. He was actually quite well-schooled as a fighter. In his fight with Mercer, he set Ray up time and again with beautiful combinations; world-class combinations.

Unfotunately as you said, he had some critical weaknesses that usually failed him at the top level.

 

The Mercer KO was one of the ugliest KO's Ive ever seen with Gamache Gatti taking first prize. I thought Tommy was dead.