Tommy Morrison

Tommy Morrison
Morrison in 1990
Born	(1969-01-02)January 2, 1969 Gravette, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	September 1, 2013(2013-09-01) (aged 44) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Nickname	The Duke
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	Heavyweight
Reach	76 in (193 cm)
Style	Orthodox
Years active	1988–1996, 2007–2008 (boxing) 2007, 2009 (MMA)
Professional boxing record
Total	52
Wins	48
By knockout	42
Losses	3
Draws	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	1
Wins	1
By knockout	1
Losses	0

Tommy Morrison (January 2, 1969 – September 1, 2013) was an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competed from 1988 to 2009. Best known for his left hook and formidable punching power, Morrison won the WBO heavyweight title in 1993 with a unanimous decision victory over George Foreman. He lost the title in his second defense to Michael Bentt that same year. Morrison's other boxing highlights include his fight with Ray Mercer in 1991, and with Donovan Ruddock in 1995. Morrison is also known for his acting career, having starred alongside Sylvester Stallone in the 1990 film Rocky V as Tommy Gunn. He retired from boxing in 1996 after testing positive for HIV.

Morrison made a brief comeback to boxing from 2007 to 2008 when the Nevada commission lifted the indefinite worldwide suspension in July 2006,^[1] and briefly dabbled in the world of MMA. As a mixed martial artist, he scored a notable first-round knockout win over Wyoming state heavyweight champion Corey Williams in 2009, which ultimately became the last fight Morrison ever had in combat sports before his final retirement due to his declining health that began in 2011.

In August 2013, Morrison's mother announced that her son was in the final stages of AIDS,^[2] and he died on September 1, 2013, at the age of 44 from sepsis, septic shock, multi-system organ failure and, ultimately, cardiac arrest.