It’s no secret that Tommy Morrison was one of the most feared punchers in boxing during his career, but the actual total fights, victories, and knockout he owns are astounding.
“The Duke” reached the pinnacle of his heavyweight run in 1993 when a measured triumph over George Foreman brought the WBO title.
Morrison would eventually lose the belt to Michael Bentt but enjoyed a top-class career until wrongly diagnosed with H.I.V and suspended from fighting.
But it all started for Morrison as far back as 1982 when his mother Diana got him a fake I.D at the age of 13 to enter Tommy into Toughman contests.
According to legend, he only lost one fight in 51 contests. A solid platform to head into the amateur ranks.
Now, there are conflicting stories when it comes to his C.V in the head guard and vest. Some records show it was 202 wins with 20 losses. Wife Trish believes it was more 290-21, with a vast 263 of those coming via knockout.
An unbelievable number of stoppages for anyone, but given the fact Tommy was just 19 when he turned professional, it’s unfathomable to amass that kind of experience.
By his pro debut in 1988, Morrison already had a boxing record that read 340 wins, 22 losses, and close to 300 knockouts.
Those early opponents must have been quaking in their boots had they known just what Morrison had already been through from his teenage years.
Mike Foley, Elvin Evans, Joe Adams, Tony Dewar, and William Muhammad were all dispatched in the first round, most of them within seconds.
TOMMY MORRISON TOTAL RECORD
Eventually, Morrison ended his efforts in the paid ranks on 51-3-1, with 44 big wins coming through knockout.
In total, that gives Tommy Morrison a career boxing mark of 391 victories, 25 losses, and almost 350 knockouts. Astonishing.
Fondly remembered as a fierce knockout artist inside the ring, Morrison was also a good guy outside of the ropes.
WBN got to know Tommy during his final years and since continued that contact with his wife, Trish.
Tommy’s story is an epic one, with his boxing record merely adding to his legend. We wish his tale could have been with us much longer than it was.
That legacy lives on in his sons Kenzie and Trey, who are successful boxers in their own right.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
