Slow-motion footage shows defenceless Tommy Morrison taking ten massive punches after being knocked out cold by Ray Mercer
Resurfaced footage from Ray Mercer’s win over Tommy Morrison has reminded boxing fans just how brutal the fight-ending sequence was.
When they fought for the WBO heavyweight title in 1991, Morrison was one of the biggest stars in the sport after amassing a perfect 28-0 record and starring as Tommy Gunn in Rocky V.
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Morrison played ‘Tommy Gunn’ in Sylvester Stallone’s boxing movie franchiseCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Morrison got off to an excellent start and by round three he had bloodied Mercer, who proved he had a granite chin during the first 15 minutes of the bout.
In round four, Mercer began to work his way into the fight. The former army drill sergeant landed big shots, but his opponent showed heart and pressed forward at the start of the fifth frame.
Just 28 seconds later he suffered one of the most violent knockouts ever.
Mercer trapped Morrison in the corner and put him out on his feet with two vicious right hooks. ‘Merciless’ lived up to his nickname as he continued to wail on his rival with a barrage of punches until referee Tony Perez belatedly stepped in to call the fight off.
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Slow-motion footage of the finish was recently shared on social media by Top Rank, and it shows Morrison’s head bouncing around like a pinball as concerned commentators count how many shots he took while out cold.
Morrison ate 10 punches before falling face-first to the canvas.
Boxing fans were quick to celebrate the KO and condemn the referee after watching the slow-motion footage on X – formerly known as Twitter.
One person commented: “That finish went on about 4 life-altering punches too many.”
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Mercer knocked out Morrison in spectacular fashion but admitted his opponent had a big punch tooCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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It was one of the most brutal KOs in boxing history
Another added: “The most brutal, violent KO in boxing history.”
A third person simply said: “Brutal.”
Someone else wrote: “Absolutely horrific refereeing.”
Surprisingly, Morrison bounced back from the horrific defeat without any issues as he put together a 10-fight win streak, which included a WBO title victory against boxing legend George Foreman.
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Lewis added Morrison’s name to his epic CV in 1995Credit: Getty Images – Getty
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Morrison’s career and life were tragically cut shortCredit: Getty Images – Getty
‘The Duke’ suffered a massive upset loss in his second defence against Michael Bentt, who scuppered a planned unification with Lennox Lewis by scoring a first-round knockout victory in October 1993.
Eight fights later, Morssion had put together another unbeaten streak and stopped Donovan ‘Razor’ Ruddock to finally get his long overdue crack at Lewis.
Lewis started conservatively but began to dictate the October 1995 fight with his jab before forcing the stoppage after six rounds in what proved to be Morrison’s final fight against elite-level opposition.
It was later announced that Morrison had tested positive for HIV. He disputed that he had the virus, but it brought an end to his boxing career, aged just 27.
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The Nevada Athletic Commission lifted his ban from boxing in 2006 and he made a return to the ring a year later, winning two low-key fights, before calling time on his career for good.
Morrison’s wife, Trisha, has continued to fight to clear up the untruths around her husband’s HIV diagnosis – even after his death from organ failure in 2013 aged just 44.
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