Over a decade ago the boxing world, and more importantly, Tommy Morrison's world, was rocked by the news that he had tested positive for HIV.  Just when he was about to sign a contract that would have paid him millions to fight Mike Tyson, he got the news, and his life had been forever changed.  A decade and some change later, Morrison is now testing negative for the HIV virus.  In fact, according to Morrison he has tested negative multiple times in a row over the past few years.  Morrison feels that when he was first tested, he was given a false positive result, and in this interview you will learn why he feels that way. 

Tommy “The Duke” Morrison was once on top of the boxing world, he was on the cusp of mega money fights, and an acting career to boot.   Many of you have seen him in the motion picture, Rocky 5. 

Morrison not only wants to climb back into the heavyweight rankings, but he also has a desire to get back onto the big screen.  In this exclusive Boxingtalk interview, Morrison talks about many things.  He touches on the HIV subject, he touches on some of the corrupt people that were surrounding him, and he also talks about his future, and his plans to rise up into the heavyweight division.  On a personal note, I found Tommy to be a very candid, and kind person, and we at Boxingtalk appreciate the time that he gave us in order to get his side of the story out there.


BT – First of all, I want to thank you for the opportunity to get you on the record.

TM – You bet.

BT – Let's start of on the HIV subject.  Over a decade ago your world was rocked by the news that you had tested positive for HIV.  Tell the fans how that news changed your life.

TM – Well as you could imagine having something like that told to you, and right at the point where I was about to sign a contract for about 40 million dollars to fight Mike Tyson, the news that I got was really strange.  I was never actually shown the actual paperwork that showed that I had tested positive.  I was only told by my trainer that I tested positive for HIV.  I have been trying to get the original report from 1996, but they can't find it.  I am not sure that it ever existed.  There has been a lot of different reasons as to why the test could have come back positive.  Back then they didn't know much about it, but a lot of over the counter supplements can cause you test positive for a number of infectious diseases.  I was taking quite of bit of steroids back then, and steroids can cause your white blood cells to fluctuate, and that indicates that you could be infected with something.  I found out that I have hepatitis a few years ago.  I never knew that I had it, and that also can cause you to have a false positive on an HIV test.  Very few people can take the treatment for Hepatitis, it drives you crazy.  I guess because I am already crazy, I am able to withstand the treatment, (laughs).  Once I got my system cleaned out, and once I got through with my treatment for the hepatitis, I started testing negative for HIV.  I have tested negative a half of dozen times over the past few years.   I know there are a lot of people in Vegas that are probably taking some steps backwards, because if I do come there and test negative, (and I will), it will be interesting.  There is a new group of commissioners coming in in 2008, and hopefully they will be a little bit more medically inclined to make decisions.  I am 39, and I am in better shape than Foreman was when he made his comeback at 38, and probably in better shape than Holyfield is in at this point, and they licensed those guys.  I just want to go out there and pass my medicals, and go to the mid west and get some fights. And soon enough, Vegas will be begging me to come back out there and fight.

BT – How do you assure the fans, the commissions, and the athletes in the sport of boxing that it was indeed a false positive test, and that you're negative for HIV?

TM – Yes, once I get cleared in Vegas it will go out to everybody.  The whole world will know that there was a reason why I tested positive a decade ago.  Just like pregnancy tests have improved in technology over the past 12 years, so have HIV tests.

BT – Did you get a second opinion after you received the news that you tested positive for HIV?

TM – I did get a second opinion right after I got back home.  It came back positive too, but that was only 3 days after the first test.  All of the stuff (steroids) was still in my system, and it continued to be in there for quite some time.  When you're a young man, and you have all of this stuff jammed down your throat, you are led to believe the medical field. Within the next few weeks I will be able to go out there (Vegas) and pass my medicals, and I will once again breathe again.

BT – You want to make a comeback in boxing, once you're cleared to fight, what is your game plan?

TM – Well once I am cleared of this and it's put to rest, I am ready to move on with my boxing career.  I had who I thought was an attorney, but ultimately turned out to be my stalker.  This guy is a cash cow, and I found out through an investigator that he wasn't an attorney, he is a scam artist.  I found out that he is a convicted felon, and he has been impersonating a lawyer for years.  Once I found that out, I immediately I fired him, and the guy went crazy.  He's been impersonating an attorney for a long time, and ironically the only state in country where it's not illegal to impersonate an attorney is Arizona.  When you been doing something all of your life, you get good at it, and this guy has been sending people letters about me, he went to the media, and bullshitted some people saying bad things about me.  He got me shut down, he got bogus blood reports with my name on it, and sent it out all over the world.  Vegas than said that I can't fight anywhere anymore until I get out there and pass the medicals.  I felt like it's in my best interest to wait until the new commission gets in there, and once that happens, I look forward to fighting sometime in February.  I am 39, and anytime you're over 36 they still don't have to give you a license.   I'll go back to the mid west and get some fights, keep sharp, and go sort of the George Foreman route. 

BT – Let's get back to this attorney...

TM – He's not an attorney.

BT – (Laughs), Let's get back to your alleged attorney for a minute.  I am guessing that you can prove that he's an Illegitimate attorney, and you will seek legal action?

TM – There are certain options that I can take, but in this world everything takes money.  We do have the proof.  This guy has his mug shots on the wall at the District Attorney's office in Arizona.  They have multiple people complaining about this guy, but he knows the loop holes so well, and in Arizona it's not against the law to impersonate an attorney, so they can't do anything to him.  This man showed up in Tennessee at my divorce hearing for my wife, and I couldn't believe that.  He got on the stand and told multiple lies, he forged Bob Arum's signature on a Top Rank document that said that I was making 300,000.00 dollars a year.  They set my child support at like $647.00 a month for one child, it's crazy!  The judge believed this guy.  Since that time, we put together some documentation, and were waiting for an affidavit from Bob Arum himself at some point.

BT – Do you have support from Bob Arum (Top Rank) ?

TM – Yes, and there was letters sent to the judge, and they will have to answer to a higher court on this.  It's going to be interesting to see how the rest of this plays out. 

BT -  You have a new reality show, talk about that.

TM – You can see it every Wednesday at www.kushtv.com.  It's called The Comeback: The Tommy Morrison Story.  It gives people that aren't hardcore boxing fans an idea of all of the political hoops that I have to jump to try to make this comeback happen.  The power is in the hands of the people that are writing these articles about me, so it shows how difficult it is for me to do this.  The icing on the cake will be when I get to Vegas, and get these medicals out of the way.  I think I have a bright future in this sport, at least 2 years in me, and that's all it will take me to wrap this thing up.  The main thing is for me to get vindicated, I have been living with this for 12 years now, under this black umbrella.  This has affected my whole life, there  were people that don't even want to be in the same room as me.  Now after all of these years, I have never been sick, never had a symptom, never had anything.  It started raising questions, they told me that I would be dead by now.  There have been many people that have been diagnosed incorrectly but nobody hears about it because they aren't a famous person.  I think I have been put into this position for a reason to raise awarenes  that people make mistakes.  The government made a mistake here, it's  just going to take some time to prove it.  When that does happen it's going to open opportunities for me not only in boxing, but in acting as well.  Acting is a real passion of mine.

BT – Many of your fans remember you from the motion picture Rocky 5.  So acting is something that you would like get back into?

TM  - Yes, I have always wanted to try it.  Out of the blue the Rocky movie fell into my lap.  I have a real passion for acting and it opened up a new door inside me.  Every great actor has a real messed up life, you know what I mean?  I have a real desire to act, and I will excel at it.

BT – Did you have any acting lessons prior to your role in Rocky 5 ?

TM – Not really, I had a few acting coaches during the filming of it.  They wanted me to play myself, and people were amazed.  I want to play some weird people, not myself (laughs). I would like to see what's out there. 

BT – How do people get a hold of you if they are interested in contacting you for movie rolls?

TM – They can go to my website www.tommymorrison.net and there is a contact number on there.  Acting is my real passion.  I lost my passion for boxing for awhile because I was making everyone else millionaires, and I'm not making much money.  I guess I had to go down that road.  Now, I don't have people swinging on my jock anymore, no managers.  Any money I make now goes in my pocket.  I will say this much, it will be the greatest comeback in boxing history.  For me to be given a death sentence 12 years ago, and then coming back to win the heavyweight title?  That would be an awesome story.  This all starts once I pass my medicals in Vegas.  The last 10 years I have been healing, I am smarter, and honestly? Others have been getting beat up, and I have been healing.

BT – What is your assessment of today's heavyweight division?

TM – Well right now the big guy out there is Klitschko.  Everyone fights this guy like they are scared of him.  You can't fight this guy defensively, and he can't take that good of a shot.  If you hit this guy on the chin, you'll go home with a nice paycheck.  I think he's biting off more than he can chew with Sultan.  Last time he got knocked out was by Cory Sanders, a southpaw.  I think he's weak mentally.  Tyson used to beat people before he even threw a punch just by staring his opponents down.  I would like to fight James Toney, I can't stand that guy!  He walks around like he's the second coming of Christ, and I don't know why people think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread.  He has the perfect style for me, and I would bust him up quick.  Right now there is no exciting fighters in the heavyweight division.

BT – Why is that?  Why do you think the heavyweight division is so flat right now?

TM – Because there is nobody who has any charisma in the division anymore.  It used to be exciting.  Lennox wasn't exciting, but he was a good fighter.  Mike Tyson retired, he was exciting to watch.  Tyson put ass's in seats, and people want to see excitement, they want to see fights.

BT – Do you still got that hook of yours?

TM – It is still there, but you know what?  I have developed a dangerous right hand now too.  I have developed a hell of a right hand because I have rehabilitated my knee, and you need your knee to plant on it to throw a punch.  When I get back up to fighting 10 rounders again, I don't think anyone can beat me.  I am a young 39, I feel good, and I got my wits about me now. 

BT – There have been many things said about your career.  What is the one thing, other than the HIV situation, that you want people to know about you that they might not know.

TM – People used to treat me like a cash machine.  I am a human being, I am a normal guy and a lot of people didn't look at me like that.  I have feelings, and I have likes, and dislikes about different things, but people didn't look at me like that, they looked at me as a fighter, and not a person.  Having to go to prison, and being forced to sit in one place for a long time
gives you the opportunity to reflect on your life.  I found a good person for my life, Lisa.  She treats me like a person.  I am happy that I don't have people swinging on me now, and once I pass these physicals, I will be with Top Rank. 

BT – When your career is for certain over, how do you want people to remember you?

TM – Well I want them to remember me as a true fighter.  Not necessarily just as a boxer either.  I never really got into that whole great white hope thing, that was something that the media created.  I look forward to when fighters can be recognized by their skill, and not the color of their skin.  When my career is over, I want the fans to remember that when they came to a Tommy Morrison fight, they came to a real fight.

BT – Do you have any closing thoughts for your fans?

TM – I want to thank all of those who have supported my comeback.  There are a lot that have not supported this effort either.  There are a lot who think that I am lying, and that I am making this up.  I am going to shock the world, and people will have a hard time believing it.    I want to thank you Brad, and Boxingtalk for this opportunity. Success is as sweet as revenge!
I also want to give a shout out to RDL and wish him a Happy New Year, here's to your success in 2008!

Visit  www.tommymorrison.net

M

Send questions and comments to: bradcooney1@bellsouth.net