George Foreman (USA) vs Tommy Morrison (USA) | Boxing Fight Highlights

You've already had your instructions one time. This is for the championship of the world. Expect a tough, clean fight. Protect yourself at all times. Any questions here? Any questions here? Let's get it on! A weird posture by Tommy Morrison bending over. Foreman's going to use every trick in the book. Saying he didn't work out hard. Stalling at the beginning of the fight. Complaining over the decision to get Mills laying his referee. Thus creating some dissension. Some kind of controversy around the fight that really wasn't there. And we begin round one. It's scheduled for 12. Morrison is the first fighter Foreman has faced that can really... Foreman's got more savvy, more experience. Who's in better shape? It's questionable. Morrison's never really been tested in later rounds. And when he has, it's by guys like Joe Hicks. George Foreman, make no doubt about it. It's not Joe Hicks. Foreman in the white trunks. By Tommy Morrison, if nothing else, wins a few fans. Round one, scheduled 12 rounder left by Morrison. Morrison doesn't chase you. He stalks you, perhaps, but doesn't chase you. He won't double up on many punches. Doesn't double up on much except helpings as he pushes Morrison in the corner. He's in with the best fighter he's ever fought. Middlesland, the referee. Foreman did file a protest. Quickly soothed over by the Nevada athletic commission. Foreman's had a game plan. Wear out Morrison. First round, I think, very important for Morrison. Gains some confidence. He looked nervous. Clearly, he was nervous. A left by Morrison lands. Morrison throws a big bag of weed. We are five rows back and I'm feeling it from here. For one of the few times in his career, Morrison, he's usually going to go right at him as he comes with a right. He said he's a better fighter now. Foreman made a mistake, lunged in, didn't throw a punch and Morrison makes him pay for it. Morrison wins the first. When a guy has fought 75 fights, he pretty much knows every trick in the bag. So here we go, round two. Foreman, white trunks, takes a big left. Tommy's corner, just telling him if he feels heat, get out of there. You can see Foreman kind of towers over him. Morrison saying midweek, hey, I'm a different fighter. I'm not a one-dimensional slugger. He comes out of the clinch with a left that partially lands and partially is stinging for Morrison. Big George using that two-hand defense, including every fan here, and probably even Mills Lane, is Morrison's reaction when he first gets tagged by Foreman. There's a left jab that lands. Oh, a peg right by Morrison. Morrison's doing the slugging, Foreman the jabbing. This was pretty much, though, his game plan earlier. And Morrison there with a sloppy right, and that'll get you into trouble with George. That's reportedly when George wanted to go for the knockout. That's probably his best punch of the fight, actually. Under a minute and a second. It would be nice if when you fought Morrison, you could just start in the sixth round, have him tired a bit. To me, it's really a pain to fight for the first six. Everything is meant to kill. Foreman lands a big one. Foreman thus far. And Morrison comes back, pushes George off with a left, a right, and another left. A scheduled 12-rounder. Morrison. Really gasping for air. On the good side, though, of being a little fatigued as a low blow comes in. Morrison doing almost all the work at this point, and that's what Foreman said. He was going to let him work his way out. A right uppercut hits Morrison, and then George leans into it. Comes with another big right. Morrison's ready for the challenge. George with his lean-on. He's been able to do that with most guys, but you can't get that close to Morrison. Foreman stalking him now. Slight reach advantage. One inch to be exact. Left hand lands. Morrison wild with a left. A very dangerous punch. Almost be labeled as foolish. Open it up for Foreman. The end of the round should be interesting. A combination of Foreman's experience and Morrison's fatigue. Everybody on the edge of their seats, waiting for the big punch to be delivered from either side. George coming in, telegraphing a left followed by a right. He's missed every time. Open it up for Morrison, who delivered low with a right. Foreman realizes it. Straight left lands. Aggressive round for Morrison, but Tommy held up well. Morrison's corner save. Fakes and flints will keep George off of you, and a fake will keep you away from Morrison. Tommy clearly fatigued by midway through that round. That was a good right by Foreman. It didn't appear as hard during the actual fight, but the aerial view gives you a better look at it. Foreman gets tagged when he comes out. Marches right into a right for Morrison. Another left by Morrison. Foreman more aggressive. We didn't hear his corner. They apparently told him to go right after it. He landed a right, Morrison a left. Marquee punches for both fighters. Morrison, a straight left. George, a straight left of his own. Foreman much more aggressive, leaning in, kind of chasing Morrison down, not just stalking anymore. All right, punch out. Two hands are free. Come on, come on, come on. Watch out. Almost left for a second. Morrison's mouthpiece came out. He looked down after more of a slap. A couple of rights by Foreman. Morrison comes out of it, though, swinging. Swinging big. Morrison hit and hit hard again. They're going at it, centering. Mills Lane seemingly a foot smaller than either fighter. Morrison kind of backing into a corner. The round's not even halfway through, and Tommy's breathing heavily. George, 20 years older, seems in better shape. Crowd chanting Foreman. Both guys will be sore tomorrow, even if it ends right now. This fight has whirlpool written all over it. A left by Morrison. Almost at a year of Foreman. Morrison leaned in with a right hand. Foreman a little puffiness over his right eye. Morrison comes out swinging. You just can't take your eyes off the ring with these guys. Has there ever been a fight where one punch could end it for both fighters? I mean, really. All right, we begin round five. One more, and we're halfway through it. Tommy was waiting for him. In the last round, George raced out and got stung. George went low, and Morrison clobbered him with a left. George came back with a right. That was one of the better punches of the fight. His punch is coming, although in many instances, it doesn't matter. Here, Morrison's coming. Morrison leaning a little more. That is dangerous. He's leaning into George a little more. Said earlier, it's the fifth and sixth where he loses some of his strength. This is the fifth of a scheduled twelve. Few thought he'd go this far. A first or second round knockout would have surprised very few people. Foreman's really yet to land a great punch. Not stocking like earlier rounds, and... Ten seconds left in the round. Round's over. You can see, it was more Morrison, not her, just... Morrison comes out with a right uppercut. This corner told him, lead with speed and follow with power. Lead with speed and follow with power. They said it over and over again. This is the sixth round of a scheduled twelve. Nice left by Morrison. Lands clean. He sprays sweat everywhere. George comes low. Low blow by George. Morrison, a little bump over his right eye. Morrison really hasn't been a big leader thus far in his career. Those guys just haven't lasted long. Good jab. Follows the extent of any foreman combination. And this is comeback. A much faster and more furious boxer in his early years. A minute fifteen remaining in the sixth. Halfway through it. George with those long arms just keeps you at bay. Although Morrison... Whacked him a good left. Morrison, much more movement. And foreman's jab, though always effective, isn't deterring Morrison's effort. At least during his comeback. Oh, a right by Morrison. They're making foreman almost staggered himself. And Tommy comes back with it. Ten seconds left in the round. Morrison overreaches then comes back with a punishing right hand. Follows with a left jab. Round's over. Fairly furious last fifteen seconds. Angelo, Dundee, Tom Foreman. The jab is everything. Those are some of Foreman's, to this point, probably a slight edge to Morrison. He's the more active fighter. It would be a stunner to put it mildly into round twelve. Foreman lands a good punch. Morrison, wild, missed both times. Not a good sign. Then he lands with a right. Foreman lands with a left and a right. Here we go. Seventh round a busy one. Foreman getting to Morrison. Heavy-handed, hurting him. Tommy moves out of the way. He said he's a better fighter. Not a one-dimensional fighter. He can do more than slug. Foreman lands a good right, hurt Morrison. A minute yet gone in the seventh round. Morrison. Morrison's taking an uppercut. Both land with a left. A minute left in the seventh. Morrison jabbing, keeping away. George, a left and a right. Though it appears unsuccessful to this point. What a heavy right by Foreman. Feet on the side of his face. Just a big, heavy right. I mean, a Foreman handshake hurts enough. He brings that right around. It's painful. Ten seconds left in the round. Mills Lane. Stepping in momentarily. Stopping the action to the chagrin of the crowd. Morrison, for the most part, stayed away this round. After that brief, punishing flurry by Big George Early. This, that right hand by Morrison that connected, but undaunted, Foreman came right back. Foreman's corner furious. Livid at Mills Lane for that last low blow. George delivered that more than once to Evander Holyfield. That was a big left. You see the Vaseline come up in Morrison's eye, and he had to wipe it with his right hand. That Vaseline will help those punches slide instead of connect. And the highest knockout percentage in boxing history. Yelling at him to get him up. And Foreman nodding. Very aware, very composed of where he's at. Becoming a more regular site for heavyweight fights. George backs Morrison with a corner, and Tommy works his way out of it. Forty-five gone in the eighth. Heavy-handed Foreman. Throwing a variety of punches. Morrison really never took a big shot more than elbow from Foreman. That'll work. Tommy still bouncing around, though not as regularly as before. He has stayed active enough, though, that George just can't track him down. A big low blow. Big low blow. George knew it the minute he threw it. George will take the legs out of a fighter more than any punch. Look at George. George reaches out to grab him. George knew it was low. Yeah, that is south of the border. That hurts enough when he hits you in the shoulder. Big George staring him down. Time call again. Let's see how Morrison reacts. Probably gonna look about low blow again. None with maybe the power, however, of Foreman's. Morrison from time to time screaming as he throws his punches. Bringing everything he has. Triples up on the left. I think that break probably helped Morrison more than Foreman. He's been breathing heavier in the corners. Morrison with a slow right and almost got ten with a left. He's faking and flinching better than before, listening to his corner. The pace of the fight has slowed in the last couple of rounds. Both guys tiring. Ten seconds left. I'd say five to three. Maybe six-two. WBO heavyweight championship. Twelve rounds. Nice left by Morrison. His best punch in two rounds. His corner telling him everything was speed. Get out when you feel heat. George missed with a left. Followed with a right and missed again. Here comes Morrison. A couple huge punches. The left just landed. Foreman still leans in. George punching off one foot there. Dangerous tactic against Morrison. George has slowed a bit, but honestly, you're not gonna get much slower than George at any point. It's just he's a little more deliberate now than earlier round. Speed's never been his forte. Power always has been. Nice uppercut. Morrison connected. But Morrison not as busy as a steward. More powerful, sure, but not as active. Foreman just not throwing that many punches, really. Doing more leaning than punching. Strong convictions on both sides. Many loving the youth of Morrison, especially in these later rounds. Win or lose, if he gets knocked down in 10 seconds, Morrison's looking pretty good tonight. He's just waiting for that big right. You can sense it. He just never threw it. He hasn't thrown it much tonight. That's been the story for Foreman. Speed is what they're asking for in Morrison's corner. The round is over. These last few have gone quickly. They're emphasizing speed in Tommy's corner. Out of the break. Morrison with a right. Here we go, round 10. A lot of people thought the arena would be cleared by now. That's about the extent of George's punches tonight. He's just a little short. An early round punch, spraying a lot of water and sweat. Big right by Foreman. That landed right around the chin. Morrison blocked a Foreman punch with his hand. George with a body shot. A two-hand defense. If nothing else, frustrates a fighter. Kidney shot by George. Mills Lane says continue. He hit him in the back. Morrison's hurt a little bit. Foreman's going after him. That ticked Morrison off, but Foreman's still the aggressor. He wanted to fight stop. Mills Lane would have nothing to do with it. Morrison extends and a right doesn't land clearly. George with a couple of rights of his own. Morrison ducks out of the way and lands a right. Morrison doing that to buy time and position. Morrison clearly tired. Nice right. Foreman's better punches of the night. Tommy's either hurt or tired. Those body shots of George wearing on him. He comes out of a clinch with a big left. Foreman, there's a punch. A point being taken away from Foreman. Morrison could be critical. Morrison came out with a bomb. Foreman missed wildly. Round's over. Not a good Foreman round. Took some punches and lost a point. Angelo Dundee screaming at Mills Lane, saying you're not a good referee. Angelo Dundee is furious. We'll see how much that point matters. Six minutes to go. WBO Heavyweight Championship. 20 years younger, but nonetheless tired. Morrison's got his work cut out for him to protect a small lead. That's his experience. Missed with a left. Morrison, to this point, holds true to his prediction that he is a better fighter, a little more savvy, a little brighter in the ring. And tonight he's proven that against a veteran. The veteran. He's been able often to dictate the pace. That's been Morrison's best punch tonight, breaking out of the clinch with a big left. His left is his best punch. He stayed his distance. George comes over the top and hits him in the back. Morrison has stayed his distance. Punched and moved. Foreman was low, but it didn't connect. Foreman landed a straight jab, but done little tonight. George getting as frustrated as Tommy was earlier. Morrison, a lot of movement. And final round, how about a round of applause? Morrison hands in the air. Coming out for the 12. Vaseline all over his face. Biggest round in Morrison's career right here. Protecting a lead. He feels he's the winner. Only thing that'll take it away is a careless mistake that you cannot get away with generally with Foreman. Foreman knows this is a close fight. Though he probably doesn't feel he has a chance to win. Morrison's right a good punch, follows with a left. George bent Morrison's neck back with a left. George missed with a big left. Landed with a right. This could be the last 208 of George Foreman's boxing career. Morrison, mouth open, breathing heavily, takes a punch, dishes one out. This is dangerous territory in a corner. Morrison, just a few bumps. This could be the last fight. A huge surprise. Big George hands him against the ropes. Just can't extend. There he does, and lands a good one to Morrison. Some of the crowd stands. Foreman's best punch in five rounds. Morrison exhausted. Mills Lane calls time. George has tape coming off his... Morrison, a little resurgent. 30 seconds left in the fight. Boy, that did Morrison a huge favor. That's the second time he's gotten a break. His trainer said earlier, we don't even get that in practice. Tape still coming off. Mills Lane will pop up now. He's got to call time again. He called time but didn't follow through with it. The tape's everywhere. Tape is everywhere. It's coming off his... Fight is over. Mills Lane did what he had to do. Not popular, clearly, with the fans, the WBO World Heavyweight Champion. We go to the scorecards. Dolby Shirley and Patricia Jarman both score the bout, 117 to 110. Jerry Roth scores the bout, 118 to 109 for the winner and new champion, Tommy The Duke! Awesome! Well, in a sense, Tommy Morrison arrived tonight. A unanimous decision, no matter how unpopular with the fans. A huge night in Tommy Morrison's life.