Tommy Morrisons career reached its pinnacle on a hot June night in Las
Vegas, when he stepped into the ring and beat George Foreman to become
heavyweight champion.
Frank Clark Seahawks Jersey .
It reached its nadir when he tested positive for HIV three years later.
The last 20 years of the brash boxers life would be defined by extensive
legal troubles, erratic behaviour and mounting health problems.
Morrison would later claim that he never tested positive for the virus
that causes AIDs, even as he was hospitalized during the last days of
his life.
Morrison died Sunday night at a Nebraska hospital. He was 44.
His longtime promoter and close friend, Tony Holden, confirmed that "the
Duke" had died, but his family would not disclose the cause of death.
Morrison and his wife, Trisha, continued to deny that the former
champion ever had HIV during the final years of his life.
"Tommys a very stubborn person and he views things the way he wants to
view things. Thats his right and privilege," Holden said. "All through
his career, him and I would come not to physical blows but disagreements
on certain things. We always ended up friends. That was Tommy.
"Thats the way Tommy took off after he was told he was HIV-positive,"
Holden added. "When he first was told, I was taking him to seek
treatment and to different doctors around the country. And then he
started research on the Internet and started saying it was a conspiracy.
He went in that direction and never looked back."
The controversy, along with Morrisons rapid decline, overshadowed a
stellar career.
Morrison was a prodigious puncher whose bid to fight in the 1988 Seoul
Olympics ended at the hands of Ray Mercer, who later dealt him his first
professional loss. Along the way, Morrison became such a recognizable
face that he was cast in "Rocky V" alongside Sylvester Stallone.
Morrison won his first 28 professional fights, beating faded champions
such as Pinklon Thomas along the way. He hit it big at the Thomas &
Mack Center in the summer of 1993 — a unanimous decision over Foreman,
then in the midst of his comeback — to claim a vacant world title.
As with so many things in Morrisons life, the good was quickly followed
by the bad.
Morrison was in line for a high-profile bout with Lennox Lewis when he
was upset by unheralded fighter Michael Bentt in Tulsa, Okla., not far
from where Morrison was raised. He was knocked down three times and the
fight was called before the first round ended.
The loss meant a potential $7.5 million payday for a title unification
fight simply vanished.
"I zigged when I should have zagged," Morrison said afterward. "Its one
of those situations you have to live with and learn from it. Ill be
back."
Morrison indeed came back, but he was never the same feared fighter. He
beat a bunch of long shots and faded stars over the next couple of years
before getting knocked out by Lewis in the sixth round.
That fight happened in October 1995. By February, Morrison had tested
positive for HIV.
Hed been preparing for another fight that winter when his blood test
came back positive for the virus that causes AIDs. Morrisons license was
quickly suspended by Nevada, and the ban was, in effect, upheld by
every other sanctioning body. Morrison said at a news conference in 1996
that hed never fight again, blaming his plight on a "permissive, fast
and reckless lifestyle."
His lifestyle never changed, though, even when he stepped away from the
ring.
He had already run afoul of the law in 1993, when he pleaded guilty to
assaulting a college student. He also dealt with weapons charges and
multiple DUI incidents over the years.
Morrison was finally sentenced to two years in prison in 2000, and
another year was added to his sentence in 2002 for violating parole.
When he was released, Morrison said his HIV tests were in fact false
positives, and he wanted to resume his career. He passed medical tests
in Arizona — even as Nevada stood by its decision to suspend his license
— and returned to the ring. Morrison fought twice more in his career,
winning once in West Virginia and for the final time in Mexico. He
finished with a record of 48-3-1 with 42 knockouts.
Morrison started to fade from the public eye in the final years of his
life. He tried to stay connected to the sport by opening a gym in
Wichita, Kan., but the enterprise was short-lived.
"If Tommy was fighting today, he no doubt would be a world champion,"
Holden said. "You have to look at who he was fighting in the 90s, the
guys in that division were Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Ray
Mercer, George Foreman. Theres no one with that talent today. Tommy
would absolutely dominate if he were in his prime boxing today."
Jimmy Graham Seahawks Jersey .com) - Speed skating has belonged to the Netherlands at the Sochi Olympics and that did not change on Tuesday. Kam Chancellor Seahawks Jersey .Y. -- When the New York Islanders lead was cut in half in the opening
minute of the third period, the sense of impending doom began wafting
through Nassau Coliseum.PHILADELPHIA -- Rajon Rondo is starting to feel
like his old self -- and the Boston Celtics are starting to win again.
Rondo had eight points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in his eighth game
back from a serious knee injury, and Jeff Green scored 17 of his 36
points in the third quarter in the Celtics 114-108 victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
"Its only a matter of time before we got on the same page," Green said
about Rondo. "He puts me in my spots, gets it to me in the open floor.
He sees the floor very well. Hes helping me get into a good rhythm. I
have to continue to make sure I get open for him."
Jared Sullinger had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Boston. The Celtics
improved to 17-33, winning their second straight game after losing 19 of
22.
Rondo had 19 points and 10 assists in Bostons win over Orlando on
Sunday.
"Im getting back to my old self," Rondo said. "Im not there yet but Ill
take the progress."
Brandon Bass had 18 points for the Celtics, 2-6 since Rondos return.
Thaddeus Young had 20 points, and Tony Wroten added 18 for Philadelphia.
The 76ers (15-35) have lost four straight and 14 of their last 17
games. They also have lost six in a row at home for the first time since
the 1996-97 season.
Spencer Hawes added 13 points and 13 rebounds for Philadelphia and Lavoy
Allen had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Sixers coach Brett Brown noticed the difference in the Celtics with an
effective Rondo.
"Hes their compass," Brown said. "Hes a great point guard and a leader."
Green scored 13 straight points during a 2-minute stretch in the third
quarter, capped by a 3-pointer that gave the Celtics their biggest lead
to that point, 83-71 with 3:44 left.
Boston coach Brad Stevens credited Rondo for helping Green succeed.
"He made a lot of shots and Rondo found him a couple of times early,"
Stevens said. "His job is simplified with Rajon out there. Garry Gilliam Seahawks Jersey. He pushed the tempo better than Ive seen him in the first eight games.
He got us a lot of good looks. His greatest strength is he makes
everyone else better and thats really shown true the last two games."
Said Rondo: "Everybody needs easy buckets, especially a guy (Green) whos
that talented and athletic. All he needs to do is see it go through a
couple of times, get to the free-throw line. He gets hot quick."
Wroten made a 58-footer at the buzzer to cut it to 88-82 entering the
fourth.
Philadelphia got as close as three points in the final quarter on
Wrotens two free throws with 8:35 left but never got closer. The Sixers
had a chance to get it to two points, but Evan Turner missed a baseline
jumper with 1:13 left, and Sullinger converted a three-point play on the
ensuing possession off an assist from Rondo with 59.4 seconds left to
give Boston a 112-105 advantage.
"He made a ton of good decisions and some huge plays late," Stevens said
about Rondo.
The Boston point guard, who is still getting into game shape, also got
some help from his teammates. After going down at one point, Bass
resuscitated a winded Rondo.
"Nothing was wrong," Rondo said. "I was winded. He brought me back to
life a little bit. Those guys pick me up. Whoever hits the floor helps
each other up. Were a team and thats what they did on that particular
play."
The Sixers havent won since last Wednesdays buzzer-beating 95-94 win at
Boston.
Notes: Philadelphia guard Michael Carter-Williams was selected the
Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January. It was the second
honour for Carter-Williams, who also was recognized in November to join
Allen Iverson as the only Sixers to earn the award multiple times.
Carter-Williams averaged 16.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists last
month. ... Sixers guard James Anderson (back contusion) left in the
first half but returned after halftime.
Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys'
'
'
