Trey Lippe Morrison wants to do what late father Tommy Morrison did – win a heavyweight world title

Trey Lippe Morrison hopes to be as successful in the ring as his father Tommy Morrison. (Photo courtesy of Sherry Cook)

Trey Lippe Morrison, left, is the son of late heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison/Photo courtesy of Sherry Cook

 

Being the son of the late Tommy Morrison comes with a price. People want to know you because of who your dad was, which can be beneficial to an up-and-coming boxer. There are also expectations because dad was once heavyweight champion of the world.

Heavyweight prospect Trey Lippe Morrison is cool with all that.

“It doesn’t really bother me that people probably first come and want to watch me fight or want to ask me anything because of who my dad is,” Lippe Morrison said. “I kind of saw that coming.”

He admits he does feel the burden of having a father who was so successful in the ring.

“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,” Lippe Morrison said. “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.”

Lippe Morrison on Friday night will put his unblemished record of 11-0 with 11 knockouts on the line when he takes on Ed Latimore (13-0, 7 KOs) of Pittsburgh at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla. (on Showtime).

Lippe Morrison, 26, is raw, as he didn’t even lace up the gloves until he was 24 and had nary an amateur bout. He had wanted to play football in the NFL and was a defensive end at Central Arkansas.

“But I screwed up in college and kicked off the team my senior year,” he said.

Not ready to walk away from athletics, a light went off in his head.

“The only other sport I could think to give a shot was boxing, you know, because my dad did it,” Lippe Morrison said. “So I was like, ‘Maybe I could do it.’ And around the time football ended for me, my dad passed away and I went to Tony Holden, my promoter.”

Holden promoted many of Tommy Morrison’s fights. He turned his son down flat, though.

“So I told him I was going to try boxing without him,” said Lippe Morrison, of Tulsa, Okla. “And he was like, ‘OK.’ And we parted ways and about three days later he gave me a call and he was like, ‘Hey, if you’re going to do it, I’m going to help you out.’ ”

Lippe Morrison at times sounds exactly like his father, who died Sept. 1, 2013 at age 44. Morrison’s mother said her son had full-blown AIDS. Morrison was diagnosed with HIV in 1996, which he later claimed was a false positive.

Upon learning of his diagnosis, Tommy Morrison admitted a wild lifestyle was responsible. His son said that his father did advise him about not making the same mistakes he made. During a telephone conversation, it seemed that’s what Lippe Morrison remembered most about his father – their buddy-buddy talks.

“I had a good relationship with him,” said Lippe Morrison, who will be 27 Tuesday. “I would say, if you saw us hanging out, you would think we were like good pals. Good friends, you know? The relationship we had, it was cut short and we didnt get to hang out a lot. But the times we did get to hang out, it was great and fun.”

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Reminder: Bobby Chacon’s upcoming services are Friday and Monday

Bobby Chacon v Cornelius Boza-Edwards : News Photo

Bobby Chacon tangles with Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Chacon winning a unanimous decision in May 1983 in Las Vegas. It was named Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine/Photo courtesy of Getty Images, Ring Magazine

 

The public is invited to a celebration service for boxer Bobby “Schoolboy” Chacon that will be held Friday from 6-10 p.m. at Stevens Steak & Seafood House in the City of Commerce. Chacon will then be laid to rest Monday at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills at 9 a.m. in the Mission Garden Mausoleum.

Chacon, the pride of Pacoima, died Sept. 7 at age 64 after a fall. The two-division world champion suffered from pugilistic dementia for some two decades, the result of his many ring wars.

Chacon fought from 1972-88 and compiled a record of 59-7-1 with 47 knockouts while winning world titles in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions.

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Irish Olympian Michael Conlan signs promotional contract with Top Rank Inc.

Michael Conlan

Michael Conlan, left, on Monday signed a promotional contract with Top Rank Inc./Photo courtesy of Getty Images

 

Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. has signed two-time Olympian Michael Conlan of Northern Ireland to a promotional contract. Details were not disclosed.

Conlan won a bronze medal while representing Ireland in the 2012 London Games, but lost a highly controversial decision to Vladimir Nikitin of Russia in the quarterfinals in the recent Rio Games. It was one of many unpopular decisions in Rio.

Conlan, 24, is expected to make his pro debut in early 2017.

 

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Canelo Alvarez has fractured right thumb, prognosis good for full recovery

Canelo Alvarez celebrates after winning the junior middleweight title with a 9th-round knockout of Liam Smith on Saturday/Photo courtesy of Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

 

Golden Boy Promotions on Monday about noon released a statement that Canelo Alvarez sustained a fracture of his right thumb during his ninth-round knockout of junior middleweight champion Liam Smith this past Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

No surgery will be required, but Alvarez’s thumb will be mobilized for six weeks. Alvarez will not be able to fight the rest of this year, though the statement indicated the prognosis for a full recovery is excellent and the injury should not prevent him from moving forward in his career.

 

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Joseph Diaz Jr. takes another positive step toward his first major title shot

Southpaw Joseph Diaz Jr., right, lands a right hook to the head of Andrew Cancio during their fight Saturday in Arlington, Texas/Photo courtesy of Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

 

Joseph Diaz Jr. of South El Monte figures to be fighting for his first major title sometime next year, providing he keeps winning. That makes every fight for Diaz vital. A slip, and his plans are disrupted.

Diaz – ranked as high as No. 3 in the world – took another step forward this past Saturday when he stopped Andrew Cancio of Blythe in the ninth round of their featherweight bout slated for 10 rounds. They tangled underneath the junior middleweight title fight between Liam Smith of England and Canelo Alvarez of Mexico; Alvarez won via 9th-round knockout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“This is a great victory, it will open up so many doors for me moving forward,” said the 23-year-old Diaz, who is 22-0 with 13 knockouts. “I felt very comfortable. I was the better puncher, I was faster and was able to cut the ring more efficiently. I knew that Cancio was going to be a strong guy, I knew he was going to be tough and try to push me around, so I had to be the better fighter. I was able to display my defense and my power.”
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HBO on Saturday will show a replay of Canelo Alvarez-Liam Smith title fight

Canelo Alvarez connects with an uppercut as Liam Smith grimaces/AP photo by LM Otero

 

HBO on Saturday will televise a replay of this past Saturday’s junior middleweight title bout between Liam Smith of England and Canelo Alvarez of Mexico at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) decked Smith (23-1-1) three times on his way to a ninth-round knockout, Alvarez taking Smith’s title.

The Golden Boy Promotions card was televised live on HBO pay-per-view.

 

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Canelo Alvarez knocks out Liam Smith in the ninth round to win title

Canelo Alverez (L) and Liam Smith (R) square up during a press conference to promote their fight

Canelo Alvarez, left, knocked out Liam Smith (right) in the ninth round Saturday in Arlington, Texas/Photo by Getty Images

 

Canelo Alvarez of Mexico on Saturday night once again became a world champion in the junior middleweight division when he knocked out champion Liam Smith of England in the ninth round of their bout before an announced crowd of 51,240 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) decked Smith (23-1-1) three times on his way to victory – the last two times from body shots.

Smith was making his third defense.

Alvarez previously held a title at this weight from 2011-2013. He lost his two titles to Floyd Mayweather, eventually moving up to fight for, and win, a middleweight title. He vacated that title rather than unify it with Gennady Golovkin, then moved back down to challenge Smith.

Also on this card, Joseph Diaz Jr. of South El Monte stopped Andrew Cancio (17-4-2) of Blythe in the ninth round of their featherweight bout. Diaz (22-0, 13 KOs) is ranked as high as No. 3 by one organization.

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Canelo Alvarez, Liam Smith successfully make weight for Saturday’s bout

Canelo Alverez (L) and Liam Smith (R) square up during a press conference to promote their fight

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Liam Smith both made weight Friday for their fight Saturday in Arlington, Texas/Photo by Getty Images

 

Junior middleweight champion Liam Smith of England and challenger Canelo Alvarez of Mexico successfully made weight Friday for their showdown Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (on HBO pay-per-view, $54.99, $64.99 HD).

Smith and Alvarez both tipped the scales at the limit of 154 pounds.

Smith, 28, is 23-0-1 with 13 knockouts. This will be his third defense. Alvarez, 26, is 47-1-1 with 33 knockouts. Alvarez has held titles at this weight and at middleweight.

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Promoter Frank Warren says Americans will become fans of Liam Smith

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Liam Smith pose after Thursday’s final news conference/Photo courtesy of Tom Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

 

Promoter Frank Warren is pumped up about his fighter, Liam Smith, getting a chance to defend his title Saturday against Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) of Mexico at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (on HBO pay-per-view).

Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs) has never fought in the States, so he’s unknown to most here. Warren promised this week American fans will jump on Smith’s bandwagon once they’ve seen him fight.

“You guys are going to be great fans of him,” Warren said. “He is coming in as a lion, an undefeated fighter on an eight-fight knock out streak.”

That’s all well and good. But the eight consecutive knockouts haven’t exactly come against top-notch competition. Check out Smith’s ring record and judge for yourself.

 

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Liam Smith sees fight with Canelo Alvarez as chance to ‘go up the ladder’

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Liam Smith pose after Thursday’s final news conference/Photo courtesy of Tom Hogan Photos, Golden Boy Promotions

 

Liam Smith is a junior middleweight world champion, which means he has – to a degree – reached the promised land in boxing. The thing is he hasn’t beaten any real outstanding fighters, so he is not yet a star. He would be if he were to successfully defend his title Saturday against Canelo Alvarez of Mexico at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (on HBO pay-per-view).

“Canelo is an elite fighter, and this is my chance to go up the ladder,” Smith said at Thursday’s final news conference.

Alvarez, who has been highly criticized for not fighting middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, swears he’s taking Smith seriously.

“We know how dangerous and difficult Liam Smith will be,” Alvarez said. “We have not taken him lightly and we know he will come to fight on Saturday.”

Smith, of England, is 23-0-1 with 13 knockouts. Alvarez is 47-1-1 with 33 knockouts.

 

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