Tommy Morrison ... how good was he?

For all the obvious build up in his early career...those televised early fights on ESPN..that featured his power...al those flashy, explosive knockouts...it's his brains..his ability to adapt and change his style completely, and stick to a winning strategy that impressed me the most about Morrison. That decision over pre-Moorer Foreman. When Foreman ko'ed Moorer..shame, shame on Moorer I thought..20 years after Ali dazzled and ko'ed Big George..a fat, bald, 20 years older version ko's Moorer..but Morrison did the smart thing in the way he stuck to a smart strategy and

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..to his credit. Tmmy's chin and durability sucked, but that win over Foreman was his highlight moment.

 

Yet Morrison DID win at least, and didn't suffer the ignominity of being crushed and left on the canvas like Moorer was.

 

Speaking of which, who the hell was Moorer?

Didn't beat anyone of note at LHW, had a war with the great Botha, went life and death with Sir Bert Cooper, scraped a close decision against a man suffering a ****ing cardiac arrest in the ring(his only top 10 win..good grief), and got knocked out by a Foreman right hand Roach was screaming at him was coming all night. Guy had some skills, but was ultimately one lazy *******.

Oh yeah, he beat the slipping Jirov inbetween losses to Castillo and Tua. Put that man in the Hall of Fame.

 

Good post lefthook. :good

However, Briggs didn't actually beat Old Foreman at all, he was very lucky to get that dubious decision.

 

I would give him a B grade. He could be impressive like with Foreman and Ruddock and awful as with Bentt and Mercer.

 

The fact is that he was juiced, candidly admits it, and we can ask how he might have done without them. Steroids can't turn a poor fighter into a great one though, as Bob Hazelton demonstrated. Morrison had to have some natural ability to begin with. Steroid use for muscle building may well have played a role in undermining his stamina, and roid rage probably was a factor in his bat **** mentality.

He could get up to win, and did against Carl Williams and Ruddock. Withstood a broken jaw to stop Hipp. Foreman was a surprising masterclass which saw Tommy display unexpected mobility and take some good shots from George. Clearly tiring near the end, he pulled to the final bell with a solid decision win.

Among "white" heavyweights Tommy had more substance than Cooney or Duane Bobick, although his resume certainly didn't measure up to Jerry Quarry's. Like Jerry, I think he'll be remembered as an exciting contender, not derisively like Bobick sometimes is.

 

True, but the point is both had stamina issues and their power severely diminished after the 3rd round. Became different fighters really.

 

That's a good point. :good

 

As Mongoose said, Moorer wasnt much better although I think he had more boxing skills. Morrison lost to lessor fighters at heavyweight and the loss to Foreman was attributed clearly more to stupidity than lack of ability. He was pasting George for 10 rounds.

 

Early Morrison on ESPN was frightening to watch and full of potential. I just watched him blow out my old friend Ric Enis on You Tube and he was cat quick, purposeful, direct, and had sharp and substantial power. I have always thought that "bulking up", likely with the roids, made him more marketable but far less of a natural fighter. I would've liked to have seen him continue the path he started on and see where he might have ended up.

 

Sorry to go off topic but my two cents

IMO Prime Morrison has only one Advantage over Prime David Tua and that's size.

Honestly i think Tua's hand speed is much better than Morrison's
Tua hits far harder, has a better chin and has more heart


Tua's skill's are under rated because he has such a big physical disadvantage in reach,
Tua is listed as having less reach than Mayweather!!!

Slick taller boxers should be able to pot shot him and if they don't get knocked out they should win. Only very good fighters have managed this and Lewis is the only one i would have favored to do it in a rematch

I honestly feel like Tua performed poorly against Byrd and should have got the W in that fight. I would have definitely favored him in a rematch at that time. Lewis was just a bad match up for Tua, he loses that fight 95 times out of 100.

I

 

I second this. Good call about the nerves.

 

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A lot of those things you mentioned were factors of mental toughness.

 

Puncher's chance against anyone? :huh

I'd disagree with that, because Morrison has such terrible stamina, it would have to be early, because his big power truly fades after the early rounds & i don't see Morrison having a chance of KO'ing absolutely everyone early. Of Course, you might bring up Tommy's TKO8 of a shot-to-**** Carl Williams, but Carl was allergic to lefthooks, had been down in the 1st & 3rd, then the ref jumped in during round 8, as he was taking a beating against the ropes.