Tommy " The duke " Morrison, former heavyweight champion, dies at 44 - 'Rocky V' Star Dies
Tocolist.com
Tommy Morrison, the power-punching heavyweight with the charismatic smile and movie-star good looks, died late Sunday in an Omaha, Neb., hospital. He was 44.
No official cause of death was released, but Morrison's wife, Trisha, told MMADirt.com that he died of respiratory and metabolic acidosis and multiple organ failure. She said Morrison had Miller Fisher Syndrome/Guillain Barre Syndrome.
But Morrison was discovered to be HIV positive prior to a scheduled February 1996 bout with Arthur Weathers in Las Vegas, when he was 27. His mother, Diana, told ESPN.com's Elizabeth Merrill last month that her son was dying of AIDS.
Morrison's longtime promoter, Tony Holden, confirmed the death to the Tulsa World, but declined to speculate on cause.
Morrison in 2011 (Getty)
Morrison, who played Tommy Gunn in the movie "Rocky V," was 48-3-1 with 42 knockouts. He won the WBO heavyweight title in 1993, when he defeated the legendary George Foreman.
Morrison, who had one of boxing's best left hooks, had other notable wins over Razor Ruddock, Carl "The Truth" Williams, Pinklon Thomas and James "Quick" Tillis. He lost to Lennox Lewis, Ray Mercer and Michael Bentt.
After he learned of Nevada's HIV diagnosis, Morrison had his own doctor perform a test that showed that he was HIV positive. He held a news conference in Jay, Okla., that was televised live on ESPN and blamed it on a promiscuous lifestyle.