Tommy ‘The Duke’ Morrison’s Japanese Mystery Fight
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
On November 3, 1996, former world heavyweight champion Tommy ‘The Duke’ Morrison fought what was intended to be his final fight. Morrison had been in training for a month, after not fighting for a year. Tommy had lost to Lennox Lewis in Atlantic City in October 1995 in a failed attempt to regain a share of the world heavyweight title. Morrison had returned to the ring-with permission-to raise money for the Knockout AIDS Foundation to raise money for AIDS research for children. Morrison knocked down Rhode three times in the first round for an automatic TKO.
At the time this bout took place in Urayasu, Japan, Morrison still hopedto fight a rematch with George Foreman. However, Morrison descended into drugs, divorce, jail and obscurity. Over a decade later Morrison fought two more bouts (three if you include another bout in Wyoming, which has no boxing commission to sanction professional bouts).
The reason the Rhode bout in Japan was one of obscurity and mystery is because nobody really cared at that point whether Morrison fought again or not. Morrison was still in the hunt for a match with Iron Mike Tyson after the Lennox Lewis bout, later stating on the Phil Donahue Show “Now that’s all over.”
The Rhode bout should have represented closure. Years later, Morrison believed he never had HIV in the first place. When he died in September 2013, he had been ill for a number of years. Whatever the nature of his final illness, ‘The Duke’ never regained his cult like status and fan base. Morrison took the time to write three mini books covering the beginning, middle and end of his boxing career and life, and his return from the abyss of drugs. In the end, Morrison appreciated his ability just to be able to compete in the ring.
Morrison had looked into his subconscious to try to make sense of his life, and had the common sense to put it down on paper for boxing posterity. He died at 44 years old.
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