Muscle Sport Magazine

Tommy Morrison Still in ‘The Game’

I am not sure how many people actually know this or not but the grandnephew of John Wayne and the guy who co-starred in Rocky V, Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, is making a boxing comeback. You may wonder how it is possible because of the fact the last we heard of Morrison he was stripped of his title and apparently had tested positive for HIV. After all of these years Morrison has claimed to take tests that show he does not have HIV or anything that would stop him from fighting. One story said that he actually had Hepatitis and it was said that he had HIV instead. This is just another example of how boxing rears its ugly head and shows that sport is crooked. I also have to ask the question how innocent is Morrison? Questions can be asked such as is it his blood? Is he really being tested? The list goes on.

Morrison’s first fight back in a serious drive for a comeback was on January 31st on an Internet site called GOFIGHTLIVE.TV. For $5.99 you could watch him fight his opponent, Corey “Wiz Kid” Williams. I was so excited to watch the fight either live or an hour or two later. I went to the site only to discover there were technical problems and the fight would only be showed on tape later that night.

If Morrison were to find a way to fight again on a regular basis he may just be considered a guy who has a shot in a very weak heavyweight division. Just the fact that Evander Holyfield has made some strides is one indication of this. Yes there are some guys who can box, but it is not and never will be the day of the “Real Champ” such as a Muhammad Ali or even a George Foreman. Boxing has not groomed a heavyweight like that since Mike Tyson and we saw what happened to him. I guess the comeback is all in the hands of Morrison and keeping himself clean (if he physically can) and also getting himself back into shape. He did fight in 2007 and he was not in the best of shape. He even has admitted that he needs “more consistency” in the ring and in training. Without both of these he will not be able to go longer in fights and also compete toe-to-toe with the heavyweight fighters even if they are weak themselves.

I guess time will tell if this is a story, which will turn bad blood into good (well, at least for Morrison). There are many obstacles still to climb such as who will fight him?  Who will even take the time out to train him not knowing whether he will be allowed to fight or not. Every State Athletic Commission differs as far as testing and it could be that he just can’t get cleared in certain places ever. There is also the matter as Morrison has been quoted saying, ” I am a good white fighter in a predominately black and hispanic sport.” They (promoters) do not want me to succeed because I am white and good looking.”

That is something that remains to be seen. What we do know is that Morrison is taking his comeback seriously and anyone who did go for the pay-per-view didn’t see much in terms of an epic bout. Morrison floored the Wyoming journeyman Williams only 1:57 into the first round, possibly setting himself up for a bigger payday down the road.

Frankie “The Sports Guy” Maniscalco has been hosting his show in one capacity or another on WGBB and other outlets since 2007. Frankie prides himself on not only talking with former and current athletes but he also catches the story of people helping in the community. His interviews range from former baseball players like Tommy John to people giving back to help others.  Frankie has aired his show on such platforms asyoucastr and MVN. When Frankie is not doing a show on WGBB,  you can find him on the internet at Blog Talk Radio Sunday nights from 10:00pm to 11:00pm. He also started writing a blog on his website ( frankiethesportsguy.com ) as well as  writing a fantasy article for NY Baseball Digest. Whether on the air or in print, Frankie strives to capture his audience with the best guests and topics relating to sports.

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