MMA for show

[MajorMike]

Adds so much to the legitimacy of MMA. Morrison can't get a boxing fight... so he goes to MMA. I can tell Dana is chomping at the bit for this; one of his guys going against an out of shape, past his prime, yet still big name (just because of cir stances) boxer. What a joke.

Tommy accepts Chucks Challenge
Tommy Morrison Accepts Chuck Liddell’s Challenge and Will Make His MMA Debut!

May 10, 2007 - Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, one of the most intriguing boxers to even step into the squared circle, shocked the MMA world this week by announcing his intention to fight 340 lb. John Stover, an experienced cagefighter with 8 professional fights, on June 9, 2007 at the Cliff Castle Casino (www.cliffcastlecasino.net) in Arizona in Gino Carlucci’s World Fighting Championship (www.thewfc.com).

Morrison’s bombs announcement comes over a decade after his previous bombs announcement that rocked the boxing world that he had tested positive for AIDS. Morrison, however, has been symptom free for 10 years now and claims that he was the victim of a false positive test result. He recently started boxing again and was cleared to return to the ring by the West Virginia Athletic Commission after passing a battery of medical tests in Arizona, the results of which were forwarded to West Virginia.

Best known to the general public for his role as Tommy Gunn in Rocky V, Morrison was on top of the boxing world before a single test result in 1996 took it all away. But Morrison (46-3-1, 40 KOs) was no celluloid tiger and was a significant fighter and box office draw. George Foreman, for example, lost to only five fighters in his career and Morrison is one. Morrison also held a share of the heavyweight le on two occasions.

“I had just signed a three-fight deal with Don King,” Morrison recalls, “that was going to lead to showdown with Mike Tyson that was worth $38 million. My first fight was against Stormy Weathers in Las Vegas, but then came the test result and the fight was cancelled. I estimate that cost me around $100 million in fight purses over the past 10 years.”

Morrison was spurred to start cagefighting by an interview that Chuck Liddell gave on Good Morning Texas where Liddell called out Morrison and said he wanted to fight him. “I couldn’t believe that,” Morrison says. “It’s one thing to talk about fighting someone but another thing to actually do it. Let’s see if Chuck Liddell’s heart is as big as his mouth. He is crazy to want to get into the cage with me. I beat George Foreman. Nobody in the history of boxing hit harder than George Foreman. So why would I be afraid to get hit by Chuck Liddell? He should be the one to be afraid. Liddell has never been hit by anyone like me. Dana White always talks about how a top cagefighter like Liddell could beat a top boxer so here’s a chance to make it happen. I want to know if Liddell and Dana White really mean what they say or if they are just full of talk. I will take on Chuck Liddell anytime, anyplace, anywhere."

Morrison’s first step in his mixed martial arts career will be followed and reported on around the world and “The Duke” is dead serious about his upcoming fight. “I’m really excited to be fighting in the WFC and I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me. If you want to see the future of mixed martial arts then come to the Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde Arizona on June 9, 2007…because that future is me.”

For ticket and travel information for Tommy Morrison’s cagefighting debut go to www.thewfc.com and www.cliffcastlecasino.net. For all media requests contact Peter McKinn at 602-405-5661.

[desflood]

BOXING CHAMP CINTRON ACCEPTS UFC CHALLENGE
Wednesday, May 09, 2007 - by Ken Pishna - MMAWeekly.com (Photo courtesy of Main Events)

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In a prepared statement, Main Events CEO Kathy Duva announced that IBF World Welterweight Champion and former high school and college wrestler Kermit Cintron would like to step in and accept the challenge from UFC President Dana White that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has refused.

After some negative comments about mixed martial arts and the UFC in particular by Mayweather, White threw out a challenge for the undefeated boxing champion to fight UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk in an MMA bout. Sherk’s weight class is defined at 155 pounds, while Mayweather’s most recent bout against Oscar De La Hoya was at 154 pounds.

“I want the fight,” said Cintron. “I can wrestle. I can box. I can beat those UFC fighters at their own game. Tell Mr. White to make me an offer and I’ll take on his guy after I fight Matthysse...”

Cintron is referring to a mandatory defense of his IBF le against challenger Walter Mattysse on July 14. The fight is scheduled to take place on the Arturo Gatti vs. Alfonso Gomez fight card on HBO.

It’s not difficult to connect the timing of Cintron’s statements with the build-up for his fight against Mattysse in Atlantic City, N.J. It should be noted, however, that the IBF champ is also ranked the #7 welterweight boxer in the world by The Ring magazine, with a record of 27-1 (25 knockouts). He also competed in wrestling in college and finished 10th in the National Junior College Wrestling Championships.

[IX_Equilibrium]

Adds so much to the legitimacy of MMA. Morrison can't get a boxing fight... so he goes to MMA. I can tell Dana is chomping at the bit for this; one of his guys going against an out of shape, past his prime, yet still big name (just because of cir stances) boxer. What a joke.

Where did Dana show interest in this at all?? This is some two-bit local promotion that isn't even a blip on the radar.

[cornbread]

I can tell Dana is chomping at the bit for this

According to what? Your keen 6th sense?

[LEONARD]

LMAO @ CaptMike...

Wow...

and even more-so at Tommy Morrison for taking Chuck's drunken non-sense comment about him and making a career change out of it. They're not even in the same weight class either...

IDIOTS

[dallaskd]

Chuck would destroy him.