By James Slater – There seems to be a small chance we have not seen the last of Tommy Morrison in a boxing ring. It may not mean too much, but Boxrec have Morrison down as fighting again on Feb. 25th – in Canada. Not only that, but the site has another former WBO heavyweight champion down as fighting on that same card. “Merciless” Ray Mercer, who of course smashed “The Duke” to defeat in that memorable 1991 KO, is down as facing local trial horse Stephane Tessier. Apparently Morrison, 48-3-1(42) will face the unbeaten but untested Eric Barrak, also of Canada..
It remains to be seen if the card goes ahead at all, much less with both once big but now faded names fighting. Morrison, who has insisted for the longest time that he is not HIV (that he was given a false positive way back when), last fought in Feb. of 2008, when he stopped Matt Weishaar in the 3rd-round in Mexico. That fight was the second return to the ring made by the 41-year-old since his 1996 win over Marcus Rhode.
Barrak, a 33-year-old, has just three pro wins to his name, and he last boxed in 2008 also. Make of this potential match-up what you will.
The 36-7-1(26) Mercer, who will turn 50 in April of this year, last boxed in 2008, when he won a decision over “Dutch Sonny Liston” Richel Hersisia in Sweden. Then, in a crossover affair, the 1988 Olympic gold medallist destroyed MMA’s Tim Sylvia inside ten-seconds the following year. Since then, “Merciless” has had talked of fights in MMA fall through, and now he may or may not face the 3-26-1(1) Tessier. Again, make of this prospective fight what you will.
The heavyweight doubleheader is down on Boxrec as taking place at The Pierre Charbonneau Centre in Montreal, Quebec. If the card does go ahead, what kind of an audience will it attract?