LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – The son of the late Tommy “The Duke” Morrison, Kenzie Morrison put his name on the map with a fifth-round stoppage over Hasim Rahman Jr. on Friday night at The Theater at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. 

Morrison (20-0-2, 18 KOs) of Shawnee, Kansas by way of Miami, Oklahoma started fast as he stated he would before the bout, landing a couple stiff combinations in the opening minutes. Rahman (12-1, 6 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Baltimore, Maryland switched to southpaw and slowed Morrsion with a right. Before the end of the round, Morrison landed a hard right that stopped Rahman in his tracks. Rahman did well to box and move out of range in the third, but still it was Morrison that landed the few eye-catching punches in the round. Morrison chased and landed on Rahman for much of the fourth, as the Las Vegas resident seemed content to cover up and fire back with single punches. 

After sitting for the first time between rounds at the end of the fourth, Morrison, 224.4, bolted out of his corner to attack Rahman, 224, in the fifth. A series of punches accentuated by an overhand right dropped Rahman hard early in the round. Rahman gamely rose to his feet, before being pressured into the ropes where referee Robert Hoyle called a halt to the bout after an uppercut and a left hand at 1:37 of the fifth round. 

“I felt strong when I connected,” explained Morrision. “Right now, I have a long drive home, but then it will be back to the gym until I await what [my promoter] Joe [Kelly] has for me.” 

With the victory, Morrison claimed the vacant WBC USNBC heavyweight title and will likely land himself a spot in the top fifteen world rankings with that sanctioning body. 

In a thrilling contest, Keith Hunter (15-1, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas powered his way to a ten-round unanimous decision over Demarius Driver (12-1, 7 KOs) of Atlanta, Georgia.

Driver, 140.8, proved to be an elusive target for much of the first, outside of a short counter right from Hunter that forced the Atlanta native to take a few off balance steps backward. Driver began to sit down on his punches more in the second, while Hunter, the son of the late Mike “The Bounty” Hunter, kept his right in his holster while waiting for the right opening to present itself. Driver slowed his pace a bit in the third, which allowed Hunter, 134, to trade on more even terms. As the round reached the final minute, Hunter found a home for some stiff rights that appeared to bother Driver. 

Driver brought his output level back up in the forth, but it was Hunter that landed the more telling blows, catching his shorter opponent reaching on occasion. Driver regained some footing in the bout in the fifth, boxing well, before Hunter rocked him in the closing seconds of the stanza. Driver appeared stunned by two overhand rights midway through the sixth, but soon after got back to utilizing his boxing skills to keep Hunter off balance. The turn of the tide was brief, as Hunter rocked Driver back into a corner with a clean body shot to close out a series of punches, ending the round. Hunter kept the pressure up in the following rounds, hurting Driver with stiff rights in the eighth. 

Driver proved his mettle in a heated ninth, as the two stood and traded for much of the round. The power edge went to Hunter, but Driver held tough and got in some power blows of his own. Hunter came out guns blazing in the tenth, winding up for huge power rights that landed to thuds for the first two minutes of the round. Again showing his toughness, Driver withstood the blows, regrouped and traded on even footing with a punched-out Hunter as the fight came to a close to a raucous ovation. Hunter claimed the victory by scores of 99-91 and 97-93 twice. 

“My biggest thing was staying relaxed, because I know I have the power to get him out of there,” explained Hunter, who called out Gervonta Davis after the bout. 

Arturo Moreno (6-0, 2 KOs) of Springfield, Missouri upset the son of the legendary Roberto Duran, Robert Duran Jr. (9-2, 7 KOs) of Plantation, Florida, scoring a one-sided six-round unanimous decision. 

After being lulled into a boxing match for two rounds, Moreno, 143.8, came out with renewed intensity in the third round. The Missouri native landed in combination for much of the round, while Duran, 147.4, covered up and threw back in short bursts. Moreno did well to box on the outside and hold at close quarters to prevent any Duran retort for much of a less-than-thrilling fourth round. Duran continued to struggle to cut off the ring or pin Moreno down in any meaningful way through the final two rounds. In the sixth, Moreno, who had previously resorted to holding on the inside, actually threw and controlled the action on the inside in the sixth en route to the decision by scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56. 

Another offspring of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, Sharif Rahman (6-0, 3 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Baltimore turned back the challenge of a game Reyes Sanchez (7-2, 3 KOs) of Topeka, Kansas, earning a six-round unanimous decision. 

Through two rounds, Rahman, 156, controlled much of the action with his fast hands and combinations. In the third round, Sanchez, 153.6, managed to negate his opponent’s natural gifts by smothering Rahman against the ropes and landing where he could. Rahman more than likely could have turned and moved from the ropes, but instead elected to lean against the strands and exchange on the inside. 

Less than a minute into the forth, Sanchez missed with an errant right and clashed heads, opening a cut on Rahman. As the round came to a close, Rahman rocked Sanchez against the ropes with a combination. Sanchez did well to hold on, grappling Rahman as the bell sounded to end the round. The fifth featured some two-way action, but again Rahman came on late in the round, this time rocking Sanchez with a quick combination, fighting with his own back against the ropes. Rahman closed out the fight with more excellent combination punching, again knocking Sanchez off balance late in the round. One judge found a round for Sanchez, preventing the shutout with scores of 59-55 and 60-54 twice. 

The son of former super middleweight champion Gerald McClellan, Gerald McClellan Jr. boxed his way to a four-round unanimous decision over Demetrius Alexander (1-1, 1 KO) of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Through the first two rounds, McClellan (2-0, 1 KO) of Beloit, Wisconsin switched from southpaw to orthodox with regularity, but the tactic did not appear to do much to throw Alexander, 183.2, off of his gameplan. Fighting more out of the orthodox stance mostly in the third and fourth, McClellan, 178.2, jabbed and moved, but failed to land anything of great significance. In the end, the son of the former super middleweight champion had done enough to get the majority nod by scores of 38-38 and 39-37 twice. 

In the opening bout of the evening, Shady Gamour (13-0, 9 KOS) of Pensacola, Florida by way of Broby, Scania, Sweden boxed his way to an eight-round unanimous decision over Steven Pichardo (8-2-1, 2 KOs) of Compton, California. 

Gamour, 160.2, used his fast hands and ring generalship to control the majority of the bout, while the taller and rangier Pichardo, 159.8, failed to use his natural size to his advantage. A close first round was likely swayed in Gamour’s way with a stiff combination in the last few seconds. After a back-and-forth second round, Gamour began picking Pichardo apart as the taller California native attempted to be the aggressor in the third. Over the next two rounds, Gamour landed with more regularity, momentarily backing Pichardo into the ropes in the fifth. 

Into the sixth, Gamour’s speed and combinations continued to trouble the taller Pichardo, who failed to use his height advantage. Pichardo opened the eighth with new found aggression and landed to great effect in the opening minute. But after his initial onslaught, Pichardo appeared to have fired his final bullets and Gamour returned to controlling the action down the final stretch. In the end, Gamour claimed a unanimous decision by scores of 80-72 and 78-74 twice. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @MarioG280

By Mario Ortega Jr.-

One of two fighting sons of the late former WBO heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison, Kenzie Morrision, takes a step out of relative anonymity and onto the grand stage of a Las Vegas, Nevada pay-per-view heavyweight main event. Morrison takes on fellow second-generation fighter Hasim Rahman Jr. in the headline attraction at The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas for the regional WBC USNBC title this coming Friday night. 

Though Morrsion (19-0-2, 17 KOs) of Shawnee, Kansas by way of Miami, Oklahoma finds himself headlining an event dubbed “Sons of Legends,” the former high school basketball standout did not foresee a future in prizefighting as a younger man. 

“I graduated high school and I had a couple scholarship opportunities to play basketball, but I was more interested in going right to work and making money,” recalls Morrison. “So I did that for a few years, but kind of got tired of the road work and being gone. So I came back and I was still young enough for boxing. I grew up around it, even though I was pretty young when my dad’s career ended.” Morrison, who was born in 1990, the year his father hit the big screen as Tommy “The Machine” Gunn in Rocky V, was six-years-old when his dad’s primary run as a professional came to an abrupt end after his well chronicled medical diagnosis. 

After a short stint back in the ring in 2008, the elder Morrison stayed close to boxing for a bit while living back in Kansas. “When I moved to Wichita when I was 19-years-old, my dad was opening up a gym on the southside of Wichita, which was kind of a low income area,” explains Kenzie. “He was trying to give them an opportunity to get into a boxing gym. So he started working with me a little bit and was kind of surprised by my ability. I was always an athlete, but I wasn’t a fighter growing up.”

Morrison worked with his dad for a while, before moving and training for a stint with his uncle Tim, another former professional fighter. “I was up there about nine months and then we had a falling out over something stupid,” recalls Kenzie. “I was young and I was like, ‘Dad, I’m going, I don’t feel like working with you.’ That was the last time that I trained with him because after that unfortunately he wound up getting sick. He wound up in Tennessee and then he would up getting in a hospital where he slowly, slowly declined in health.” 

With their time training together ultimately being very brief, Kenzie never received the positive recognition from his father as his trainer or an observer of his improvements that he likely would have heard at some point had things gone differently. At least he never heard those words from his father while his father was still with him. After Tommy’s passing, his widow ended up coming across audio recordings, which included messages he had recorded for himself about his son’s impressive progress in training.

“He was kind of a night owl,” says Kenzie of his late father. “He’d stay up late and think and he’d read the bible and do his meditation – the things he thought was necessary for him. He would also make these recordings. It was neat to hear. It was assurance that damn, he really did think I could do it. He just wasn’t going to tell me because he wanted to keep pushing me or for me not to get a big head. That was kind of his downfall. It was good to hear him say that. Even if it was in private and there was no one there to hear it.” 

A little ways into his run as a professional, Kenzie Morrison ended up joining forces with an individual that had strong ties to his father’s career and has helped move the young aspiring contender to the doorstep of big things. 

“My dad was involved in Tommy’s career, so I was around Tommy my whole life growing up,” explains Joe Kelly of Ares Entertainment, Kenzie’s promoter and the co-promoter of the event on Friday. “He was one of the investors in Tommy, so I got to see that and experience that [beginning in the late 80’s]. Tommy was always one of my favorite fighters growing up, because of the connection there, and with him training and living in Kansas City and whatnot. That is how I got into boxing. I guess everyone gets into it, at my age, probably from Mike Tyson. But my first true, intimate connection to boxing was with Tommy.” 

Over their run together, Joe and Kenzie have developed a clear bond. “It makes it even better because there is history behind it,” explains Kenzie. “I wasn’t fortunate enough to ever meet Joe’s father, but I did get to meet his mom. She was at two of my fights. She was awesome. How close his dad and my dad were and how it was all affiliated, with Joe growing up with my dad being one of his heroes and seeing all the lights and the glamor right there, front row and everything. Now, transition, and we are doing the same thing. It makes it a special deal, more than just business. You may hear it all the time: ‘This guy is family,’ but it does actually feel that way with Joe. You can tell when someone genuinely cares and the way we’ve done business so far, we are doing this together every step of the way.”

Morrison and his promoter had architected a step up in class when the COVID-19 pandemic helped slow those plans completely down. Now, with the wheels of the boxing business moving along again, Kelly can help Morrision see those plans through, beginning with the Rahman bout on Friday night. 

“This is the fight that would have been the fourth in our progression,”  says Kelly, who did three fights with Morrision pre-pandemic. “It is the right time to do it. Kenzie trains really hard, he’s ready for it. At this juncture, you have to make a step up in order to progress. I feel like a fight like this, with two great prospects, is a great fight for both of them. The winner takes a big step forward in the game. The fact that it is the first time in boxing history that sons of two former world heavyweight champions have fought, also makes it pretty cool. Just on the basis of competition, it is time for him to step up and I can say the same thing about Hasim Rahman, that it is time for him to step up as well. They are at that point in life where they need to progress.”

Morrison’s career path may have been slowed by unforeseen circumstances, but the young fighter seems to think he is ready to make up for lost time. “Joe and I were on our escalator and we were going up at the time, but then for a year and eight months I didn’t do nothing,” explains Morrison of the pandemic-induced hiatus. “We molded a game plan and we were pursuing it, but it kind of got cut short. I won’t know if it was a blessing until three years from now, or on April 29th, if what happened was good or bad. Some things happen for a reason. Maybe I needed that year to reflect and hit sort of a rock bottom in a way, to feel my hunger. I think it made me a different fighter. I feel like my mind is better conditioned for it in a weird way. Physically I am another year older, but physically I am doing things that I have never done before. I feel like I am still in my prime, at the moment. I am working my way out of it, but I am still in it right at the moment.”

Morrison understands the gravity of the moment and has been doing his homework in preparation for the regional title clash. “All I can do is watch footage, the bit that I could find,” says Morrison. “And then me and him have fought the same guy, Ronny Hale, from Alabama. Ronny came here and fought me in Oklahoma and turned around and fought Rahman, I think in New York. He ended up hurting Rahman, maybe hitting him around the ear, and I could understand why. Ronny can hit like a mule. He caught me off guard. [Rahman] is unorthodox in a way, where he fights orthodox and left-handed. He seems like more of a boxer and a defensive style boxer that likes to dictate the pace. I feel like he is going to challenge me. I’ve fought guys that have fought higher ranked people, but I’ve never fought someone that’s as athletic as Rahman, so it is going to be a step-up. He’s coming to fight and so am I. You’ve got two guys that are coming to test themselves and their opponents are their biggest test, so it has to turn out good.”

Morrison, like Rahman (12-0, 6 KOs) to this point in their careers, has been carefully moved, with little risk taken in competition, away from hardened eyes of national scrutiny. Now he takes the leap against an undefeated fighter under the bright lights of Las Vegas. “I am still trying to wrap my head around it,” explains Morrison. “This is for me one of the biggest fights I’ve ever had. I’m a country boy. My town has 2500 people in it and one stoplight. So I am a small town guy. I’ve been to Vegas one time on spring break, on our way through to California, but I was too young to go into anywhere, so I had to sit in the truck.”

On Friday night, Kenzie Morrison’s hard work will have put his family name back on the marquee in a town where his father never lost a professional fight. It will be up to Kenzie if it is a one-night only occasion, or whether there will be encores. In any event, he hopes to have earned the approval he’s only heard back on tape. 

“I know that there are going to be a lot of people watching and there are going to be a lot of comparisons, so I need to be and appear worthy of this opportunity and that’s what I plan to do,” says Morrision. “And I hope my dad is proud of me regardless, because everyone wins and loses. He knows that, and I know that too.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Roy Jones Jr. Boxing and Ares Entertainment, can be purchased online at AXS.com. The event is also being broadcast via pay-per-view on Fite. 

Photo by Keaton Ward

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @MarioG280

ESPN Films will premiere a documentary on the ESPN App and on-demand for the first time with the next installment of the award-winning 30 for 30 series, “Tommy.” The film about the late WBO heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison will be available exclusively for streaming and on-demand audiences starting Wednesday, September 13. It will then make its broadcast premiere on Wednesday, September 27, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Co-directed by Gentry Kirby and Erin Leyden, “Tommy” examines Morrison’s remarkable rise to the spotlight, followed by a stunning, confounding, and ultimately tragic fall. He was one of the best heavyweights of his time; a handsome, charming, yet unsettled young star. Born into a troubled family in America’s heartland, Morrison’s initial emergence as a fighter was bolstered by a starring role in “Rocky V.” A few years later he beat George Foreman for the WBO heavyweight title, and seemed primed for more stardom, even in the face of blown opportunities and upset losses. But everything changed in early 1996 when he tested positive for HIV, abruptly forcing him into retirement at age 27. From there, Morrison’s life spiraled further and further downward, plagued by drug problems, jail time, and an eventual denial that he had the virus at all.

“Although testing positive for HIV was a big part of Tommy’s life, we did not set out for this to be an HIV story,” said co-director Gentry Kirby. “’Tommy’ is more of a personal, intimate look into how a person’s upbringing can affect their ability to handle everything that life throws at them.”

Adds co-director Erin Leyden: “One of the things I found so compelling about Tommy was the sense that he always wanted to do the right thing, yet so many of the challenges he faced were self-inflicted due to the decisions he made.”

Through interviews with Morrison’s promoter, manager, trainers and family, among others, the film explores the one-time heavyweight champion’s unlikely rise and sudden fall. There have been other boxers and other sports stars whose stories ended sadly, but rarely is the loss of potential as poignant as the case of Tommy Morrison.

Advance press screeners available upon request. Additional information, including film clips and director statements and bios, will be available on the 30 for 30 website espn.com/30for30. Follow 30 for 30 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and join the conversation with hashtag #Tommy. The full film will also be available On Demand immediately following the broadcast debut on ESPN2 Wednesday, September 27. 30 for 30 is presented by Mini.

“Tommy” will be available to stream in the new “Watch” tab on the ESPN App for iOS and Android, which launched as part of last week’s 5.10 update. The release marks the latest effort to create a comprehensive, one-stop shop for sports fans by integrating more live and on-demand video content directly into the ESPN App that is both personal and discoverable. Video-on-demand access will also be available on set top boxes and OTT devices through a pay TV provider.

About ESPN Films

ESPN Films has been an industry leader in documentary filmmaking since its inception in March 2008, producing more than 100 documentaries that have showcased some of the most compelling stories in sports. The high quality of storytelling, highlighted by the Peabody and Emmy-Award winning 30 for 30 series and the Academy-Award winning documentary “O.J.: Made in America,” has led to record viewership as well as multiple honors and critical acclaim. Additional projects from ESPN Films over the years have included 30 for 30 Shorts, Nine for IX and the SEC Storied series.

NEW YORK (Sept. 21, 2016) – Trey Lippe Morrison is 11-0 with 11 knockouts. He is the son of the late former world heavyweight champion Tommy “The Duke” Morrison. A Grove, Okla., native, Trey resides in Hollywood, Calif., and is trained by Freddie Roach at Wild Card Gym.

This Friday, Sept. 23, Morrison makes his eagerly awaited television debut when he faces fellow unbeaten and Roc Nation prospect Ed Latimore (13-0, 7 KOs), of Pittsburgh, Pa., in the second bout of a ShoBox: The New Generation quadrupleheader live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla.

Morrison, who turns 27 on Sept. 27, has recorded eight first-round knockouts, two second-round knockouts and one fourth-round KO in a career that began in February 2014. He bears a striking resemblance to his late father facially, physique-wise and with his fighting style, wears red, white and blue trunks with “TOMMY” written across the belt. He has fought all but one of his fights in Oklahoma; this is his 10th start at Buffalo Run.

A popular member of Holden’s Four State Franchise stable, the 6-foot-2 Morrison is fighting for the first time since he underwent surgery on his right tendon from an injury suffered in his most recent bout, a fourth-round TKO over Thomas Hawkins last Jan. 23.

Below is what Morrison and Roach said about Trey’s fight against Latimore Friday, his up-and-coming career, life outside the ring, remembrances of his father, working with Freddie and more:

“I’m going to approach this fight against Latimore just the same way I approached my first 11 fights,’’ said Morrison ahead of the scheduled six-round bout. “I’ve gained a lot of confidence and a lot of new skills, and I’m just honored to be able to showcase them. Being on SHOWTIME is just a huge bonus.”

Morrison’s thoughts on Ed Latimore …

“I’ve watched a little bit of video. He’s really similar to me. The way he bobs his head all the time and is a real aggressive fighter and always comes forward. It’s almost like I’m fighting a clone of myself. He kind of has that Mike Tyson style, and that’s what I expect to see. If he doesn’t come at me that way, then I’ll have to have a game plan for something else.”

Is Latimore your toughest fight to date? …

“Oh, yeah. Sure. 100 percent. His record says it all [13-0, 7 KOs]. He’s athletic. From just what I’ve seen of his past fights, he would be the toughest guy I’ve fought so far.”

On the injury suffered in his last fight …

“I feel like it is 100 percent healed. It was kind of a freak accident. I threw an uppercut and it hit him in the hard part of his head. Since I’ve been able to put my glove on it, it hasn’t been a problem.”

What are the keys to this fight? …

“I think you always find the keys within the first couple rounds of the fight. That’s when you figure someone out. I figure I’m just going to be patient, and wait for my shot and when it comes, take it.”

Tommy was known as a left-hooker, you’re known for a strong right hand? Did you work more on your left when you were sidelined? …

“Oh, yes. Tremendously. I would say me being hurt was a blessing. I think it helped me more than it hurt me. I was really able to develop and sharpen my left hand. So right now I feel like my left hand is just as lethal as my right. I’m confident I can now do everything with my left that I can with my right. I was more of a right-handed fighter before because my left hand wasn’t as developed yet. My timing and my speed wasn’t quite there with my left before, but now I’m good with both.”

On working with Freddie Roach…

“I’ve been working with Freddie for about a year now. I’m living in West Hollywood; right smack dab in the middle of all the craziness. But I stay away from all of it. I’m more of a hermit. If I’m not training, I’m at home. I really don’t go out much. I really just like being alone at times and being at my place. I don’t have many hobbies. I would say I’m a nerd. I like to play video games with my friends online.”

How did you end up with Freddie?

“I originally moved out here to train with Jesse Reid. He decided he wanted to make a move to Las Vegas, and that just wasn’t a move my promoter, Tony Holden, and I were going to make. Since I was already here, Tony had a lunch with Freddie who agreed to look at me. So I had a private session with him and after that he said he’d be willing to work with me.”

How much have you learned under Freddie’s watchful eye? …

“I’ve learned so much — probably everything. And anything I was good at before, he’s sharpened it. I’d probably give him full credit for everything. The guys I’ve sparred with have also taught me a lot. It’s really helped me in every way possible.”

Did you play sports in high school? …

“I played football, basketball and track. I played tight end and defensive end in football and I ran the hurdles and threw the shot and disc. I played four years of college football at the University of Central Arkansas. I played defensive end there. I had a couple of pro teams looking at me, but I screwed up my senior year and ended getting kicked off the team. I made some bad decisions, just being a dumb college kid, and that led to it. When boxing came up, it was like a second chance for me.

“I wasn’t ready for my athletic career to be over. Football ended for me because I made bad decisions. I needed to be told that I wasn’t good enough for me to move on and go out and get a regular job. Around the same time that happened, my dad passed away. My mom told me that Tony Holden had a casino in the next town from where I went to high school. I had never met him before but we went out and had a great time talking about my dad. So I popped the question to him and asked if he’d help me get into boxing. He said absolutely not. I told him I was going to give it a shot because I wasn’t able to give up athletics. He called me back three days later.”

Do you feel pressure being the son of Tommy Morrison? …

“Yeah. I think there’s a lot of pressure on me to do well, and I think that really weighed on me the first couple of fights. That’s always going to be there. No matter who I fight, or how good I do, they are always going to compare me to my dad. I just have to deal with it. There definitely is pressure, but I can deal with it better now.

“When I first started, people were comparing my first fight ever with how my dad ended his career…to his best fight. So obviously I wasn’t going to match up that way. I knew that I’d get better and that one day I’d get there.”

How would you describe your relationship with your father? …

“I’d say our relationship was awesome. We were great friends. You know, our time got cut short, and we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together. But the time we did have was amazing. And we really cherished it.”

Would you think your dad would be proud of you today, following in his footsteps?

“I think he would be proud of me. I wish he was here because the things he would say would help me a lot. I really do think he’d be proud.”

How much has your promoter Tony Holden meant to you?

“I wouldn’t be where I’m at without him. I can’t even put it into words. Honestly, if I would have started boxing without him, no one would know who I was. Everything I have in boxing, is because of him. I met him in October of 2013, two or three months before I got into boxing.”

Freddie Roach, a seven-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year and 2012 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, will be in Morrison’s corner Friday in Miami. He said Trey is dedicated, a joy to work with and has continued to improve. But he remains a work in progress.

“Trey’s a very nice person, a simple guy, real polite like most boxers.’’.

“He inherited his father’s punch. He’s a big puncher. He’s learned how to box and is getting better every day. He tries hard. I like the way he’s progressing. He holds his own with some of the veteran guys here at the gym and is doing very well.

“Once he learns to box a little more, he’s going to make a lot more noise in the division. My thoughts on the heavyweights right now is that it is not all that strong of a division. [Anthony] Joshua may be the best, and there are a couple other big names. But I think the division is mostly wide open for guys who have heart and balls and are ready to take it the distance. Trey’s that kind of kid.’’

It was Roach who wanted this fight. “His manager asked me if he was ready and I said he was 100 percent ready. Latimore is his toughest fight, but it’s time to step up.’’

In Friday’s ShoBox main event, once-beaten Radivoje Kalajdzic (21-1, 14 KOs), of St. Petersburg, Fla. will try and resume his winning ways when he meets undefeated Travis Peterkin (16-0-1, 7 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y. in a 10-round light heavyweight scrap. In the co-feature, super lightweight livewire Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk (11-0, 10 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., takes on Roc Nation’s Wang Zhimin (7-0, 3 KOs, 7-1 WSB), of Nutley, N.J. by way of Ningbo, China, in a 10-rounder. In a scheduled eight-round bout, Ukrainian welterweight Ivan “The Volk” Golub (12-0, 10 KOs, 5-0 WSB), of Brooklyn, N.Y. faces James “Keep’em Sleepin” Stevenson (23-2, 16 KOs), of Baltimore, Md.

The combined record of the eight boxers on the televised card is 114-3-1 with 78 knockouts.

Tickets for the event promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Tony Holden Productions in association with Roc Nation Sports are priced at $35, $55 and $75 and are available at buffalorun.com and at stubwire.com.

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

# # #

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 67 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Omar Figueroa, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

According to various reports former WBO Heavyweight champion and star of Rocky 5, Tommy Morrison passed away late Sunday night in Nebraska.

Morrison was 44.

Morrison rose to prominence as a hard punching Heavyweight who started his career in 1988. The highlight of his career was a 12 round unanimous decision over George Foreman to win the WBO crown. He was cast as “Tommy Gunn” in Rocky 5 and he became a cross over personality.

After a loss to Lennox Lewis, Morrison was signed by promoter Don King and was being positioned for a lucrative showdown with Mike Tyson. Morrison was to have a tune-up bout with Arthur Weathers but tested positive for the HIV Virus on the eve of the fight and that essentially ended his boxing career.

He fought three times after that in Japan, West Virginia and Mexico but he was unable to secure any fights of consequence in major boxing states.

Morrison proclaimed that he did not have the disease and at this time the cause of death is unknown.

His ring record was 48-3-1 with 42 knockouts.