Tommy Morrison was born on January 2, 1969 in Gravette, Arkansas. He was raised in Jay, Oklahoma and entered tough man competitions at only fifteen. He also fought in Golden Gloves tournaments, before turning professional in November of 1988.
After recording 15 knockouts in the year 1989, Tommy caught the eye of Sylvester Stallone, and was cast as Tommy Gunn in the movie Rocky V. It only added to his popularity when the film was released in late 1990. By then, Morrison had continued to knock out most of his opponents, with his left hook being his best punch. Bill Cayton, Mike Tyson’s former manager, also signed Tommy, and his future was as bright as could be.
Supposedly a distant cousin of John Wayne, Morrison used the nickname ‘The Duke’ to promote himself. Even though his list of KO victims included mostly faded fighters like James Tillis, Pinklon Thomas, Tommy climbed the rankings. He fought often on ESPN, and his name put people in the seats. Being white and a big puncher, he was a new star on the landscape, something the sport needed desperately.
A fight with Ray Mercer was set for August 9th, 1991 in Atlantic City, but was delayed because of an injury to Tommy, and rescheduled for October 18th. That night, his star would crash and burn in a dramatic way for the entire boxing world to see.
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