Former heavyweight champ Tommy Morrison prepares for MMA debut

By Andrew Bagnato

CAMP VERDE, Ariz. (AP) - Tommy Morrison says an MMA fighter is no match for a trained boxer.

And he plans prove it Saturday night in a cage outside a casino in northern Arizona.

Morrison, the former world heavyweight champion who tested positive for HIV 11 years ago, will make his mixed-martial arts debut in an unsanctioned bout at Cliff Castle Casino against John Stover, a 325-pounder who outweighs Morrison by more than 100 pounds.

"I'm just going to walk out and hit him on the chin," Morrison said at a news conference Thursday night. "I'm concerned about killing someone. I'm not kidding.

"We're trained to hit a moving target. These guys run in with their chin hanging out."

The brash-talking Morrison remains a boxer at heart, and he hopes for another shot at the heavyweight title. But for now - and for an undisclosed sum - he's venturing into the wild world of MMA.

Morrison, who said he weighs about 213 pounds, said he has done little MMA training, although he expressed concern about wearing four-ounce fingerless gloves.

"I'm a little nervous about that - not for myself but for the other guy," Morrison said. "To me, it just seems like someone signing up for assassination class. He must be out of his mind."

Stover didn't attend the news conference, and there were questions about whether he would show up for the fight, which will be held about 145 kilometres north of Phoenix.

"I'm sure he's on his way," promoter Peter McKinn said. "If it was me, I wouldn't be on my way."

Morrison's MMA venture is the latest chapter in the colourful life of the man who beat George Foreman, stopped Edmonton heavyweight Razor Ruddock and fought Lennox Lewis. Morrison seemed on his way to a big-money showdown with then-champion Mike Tyson when he tested positive for HIV before a 1996 tuneup bout in Las Vegas.

The 38-year-old Morrison has been attempting a comeback after an 11-year retirement following the discovery that he was HIV positive. Morrison claims he has taken several HIV tests during his comeback bid and all have been negative.

"They've been telling me I've been dying for 11 years," said Morrison, who became emotional as he discussed the subject.

McKinn said Morrison would not have to take a blood test for the MMA fight. The bout is being held on the Yavapai-Apache Nation, outside's the state boxing commission's jurisdiction.

The fight is not part of Morrison's three-year contract with Top Rank. McKinn said he was trying to arrange a Top Rank-sponsored boxing match for Morrison at Cliff Castle June 29.

"I'm a boxer," Morrison said.

Morrison returned to the boxing ring earlier this year in West Virginia, knocking out John Castle in the second round.

MMA star Dan "The Beast" Severn (81-15-7) will fight Victor Vincelette (2-2) in the main event Saturday night. Severn, who turns 50 next year, wrestled at Arizona State from 1976-80 and served as a coach there until 1986.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/070607/sports/mma_morrison_debut

Why???

http://fcfighter.brinkster.net/fighter.asp?FighterID=251454 that's a john stover.

http://www.martialartsradio.com/images/Pics/KickDown16/DSCF6563.JPG

He's the one on the right. On a lighter note, he lost that fight.

we're fucked.

Cracky I take you up on your offer to fight any one. I want you to go and fight that fat **** and kil him some how. I'll pay for the peantus on your airplane.

LOL start saving your pennies.

looks like tommy morrison is going to win and thus answer the age old question of whether pure boxers can succeed in mma. and i'm sure he'll retire after the fight with this knowledge.

Jeez, why couldn't they have set up a fight with someone who isn't an obvious tomato can?

I would be pretty disgruntled if I had a big payday vs Mike Tyson and some commission's doctors fucked up the lab results, told me I was HIV positive, and basically put a career down the toilet.

I don't know who is opposition is, but if they have any good takedowns, Morrison hasn't a chance.
I'm not familiar with Morrison's history, but I'm really curious to know if that test was fucked or if he actually has HIV.

Seems like entering into an MMA fight with someone HIV positive would be a pretty bad idea -- that is, assuming the Michelin Man can open up a cut ('cause lord knows he'll be bleeding.)

You're right on that one (as far as how HIV works. It doesn't just go away :p.) Sad to see a career go down for such a monumental fuckup on the part of the doctors (not to mention the personal surprise and anguish of thinking you have HIV for ___ amount of time.)

Well, I guess MMA fighters and fans should prepare for the deluge of BS gloating from the boxing community then.

Well, there can be false positives and false negatives when it comes to HIV. You can have it, but if tested too early or when the virus has progressed too far, your body may not have the antibodies necessary for a positive result, giving a false negative. On the other side, there are false positives that generally are caused by faulty testing practices. And he can claim all the negative tests that he wants, but if he's going to fight, he has a responsibilty (whether it's required or not) to get tested and publicly release the test and the results before the fight. He tested positive for ****'s sake, just take the damn test and quit bitching about a fslse positive until you prove it. If he does have HIV, he is putting his opponent at a HUGE risk by fighting.

In reference to the fight itself, I hope he gets taken down and GNP'd out or submitted. But like most everyone else here, I'm a little disappointed that his opponent appears to be a joke.

Dave

But the article mentioned multiple tests throughout the last 11 years. If these are credible tests (not to mention that over the course of 11 years of HIV, Morrison probably wouldn't be in any shape to fight) then there shouldn't be an issue of the possibility of the disease.

That said, maybe this butterball was the only guy who would fight him when there was such controversy about the possibility of him having HIV?

I understand that the article mentioned multiple tests, but because he has not faught, these results have not been reviewed by any gaming comissions. He needs to come up with specific proof that is held under scrutiny by a third party with the best interests of all of the fighters in mind. Basically I'm saying that someone other than him or someone working with him needs to confirm negative tests before he should be allowed to fight regardless of whether or not he technically needs to do it. If he has already done all this and I've missed it, then I apologize. From what I can tell he hasn't

And in reference to the following:

"not to mention that over the course of 11 years of HIV, Morrison probably wouldn't be in any shape to fight"

That is not necessarily true. To be HIV positive means that you have the virus, not necessarily that you have any symptoms. It is common (especially for those with good access to healthcare) to be HIV positive and literally show and feel no symptoms for 10 to even 30 years.

Dave

Well, for a former heavyweight champ I imagine good access to healthcare wouldn't exactly be a challenging feat. *shrug* Nothing conclusive I guess.

I understand that the article mentioned multiple tests, but because he has not faught, these results have not been reviewed by any gaming comissions. He needs to come up with specific proof that is held under scrutiny by a third party with the best interests of all of the fighters in mind.

He actually fought a little while ago in North Carolina. It was shown on ESPN and they televised the interview with the doctor beforehand, who claims to have given Morrison another test with negative results. Then he went on to talk about how important fighter safety is and etc etc etc.

I don't understand why a boxer with such a prestigious record would feel so insecure as to fight a pushover in order to prove MMA'ers can't fight. Ah well.