After his January 16, 1993 knockout of Carl ‘The Truth’ Williams, a June 7th date was signed to meet George Foreman at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. It would be for the vacant WBO title, an organization I never recognized as legitimate since it’s inception in 1988. It was a bout I really wasn’t looking forward to, since I was a huge Foreman fan, but liked Tommy as well.
Tommy had a fight in the interim before the big one, and knocked out a guy named Dan Murphy in 3 rounds, at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. I guess he figured another knockout under his belt could only bolster his confidence
Both fighters had their weigh in the day before the fight at the Aladdin Hotel on the strip. Tommy was solid, although I knew he was taking steroids. George looked as good he could I guess, at 256 lbs., but didn’t have the same solid upper body he had when he was lifting weights early in his comeback. I didn’t know if George had the quickness to deal with Tommy, who I figured would hit him and move, ala Evander Holyfield did in 1991.
The bout went just as I figured, with Morrison landing quick combinations, and moving. His strategy was smart, since if you stood in front of George, and gave him a chance to nail you, he could still knock people out. As I watched it with my brother, I felt a sense of sadness, figuring the 6 year comeback trail was ending. When the scores were read giving Tommy a lobsided unanimous decision, I knew it was the correct call. Foreman was gracious in his ring speech, and said he retiring after having fought for the title twice, and planned on working on his fall comedy series. I still laugh when Tim Ryan asked Tommy what George whispered in his ear. Tommy said “Yeah. He told me not to curse in public.” Ryan chuckled and I still do when I think about. it.
As I drove home that night, I tried to deal with my host of emotions. I figured if George had to lose, at least it was to a guy I liked and could continue to root for. But in life, as in boxing, the future for both men would be a lot different than I ever could have dreamed of that Monday night in June of 1993.
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