Morrison Defeats Foreman by a Unanimous Decision

Tommy Morrison, 20 years and 1 week younger than his opponent, 44-year-old George Foreman, won a unanimous decision and the World Boxing Organization’s vacant heavyweight championship Monday night.

Morrison, seemingly exhausted in the late rounds, nonetheless hung on and won a verdict that many in the audience of about 12,000 in Thomas & Mack Center booed.

Judges Dalby Shirley and Patricia Jarman had Morrison by 117-110 scores and Jerry Roth had it 118-109. The Times’ card had Foreman winning, 116-111.

The judges apparently credited Morrison for standing up to Foreman’s fearsome punches for 12 rounds. Foreman pressed the action all the way. There were no knockdowns, and referee Mills Lane didn’t have to break up a clinch until seconds remained in the fight.

Both landed their best punches, but at no time was either in serious difficulty. There were no knockdowns.

“We put in a lot of extra work to try and prepare for this because I know fighting someone as big and lumbering as George would be tough,” Morrison said. “I’m just a little younger and a little quicker.

“George Foreman is a very hard puncher and has a devastating jab . . . you can’t let him get set. That’s the one thing my jab did, make him reset.”

Foreman, weighing 256 pounds, earned $7 million; and Morrison, at 226 pounds, got $1 million.

Foreman, 72-4 overall, pressed the action all the way against the retreating, counterpunching Morrison. And Foreman seemed to be easily the fresher fighter at the finish.

And he seemed stunned at first when the decision was announced.

Minutes later, though, he said: “I’ve had great days in boxing, I’m proud of what I’ve done. The judges have spoken. God bless boxing.”

Later, he added: “I almost started to knock him out, but I said to myself, ‘The kid’s gone 12 rounds, and I’m not even going to go for the knockout.’ Then I realized I lost the fight.”

Morrison now looms as a probable challenger to Riddick Bowe. Morrison is 37-1 and has erased the stigma of never having beaten a world-class heavyweight.

Also on the show, Azusa junior-welterweight Zack Padilla of Azusa, an obscure journeyman going nowhere six months ago, scored an upset with a unanimous decision over Carlos Gonzalez (36-1) of Mexico City for the WBO championship.

Oscar De La Hoya, the Montebello lightweight who was the only U.S. boxing gold medalist in Spain last summer, easily improved to 8-0 by stopping Troy Dorsey (12-8-4) on a first-round cut over the right eye.

Padilla seemed to be in trouble in the first two rounds, but Gonzalez seemed to back off a bit in the mid-rounds and the judges awarded Padilla the victory on the strength of his mid and late rounds.

It was an intense fight, with most in the crowd cheering loudest at Padilla’s flurries, two of which sent the Mexican’s mouthpiece flying.

The judges had Padilla winning by 117-111, 117-112 and 115-114. The Times card had Gonzalez, 116-113.

For Padilla, 30, it was his second straight upset. As a 3-1 underdog, he shocked Roger Mayweather on a decision two months ago to earn a shot at Gonzalez.

Padilla quit boxing four years ago, and didn’t come back until a year ago. He is 17-1-1.

Afterward, both Padilla and Gonzalez said they might have suffered broken hands during the fight.

De La Hoya’s immediate championship plans were thrown into question Sunday when he failed to make weight for the Dorsey match. De La Hoya-Dorsey was contracted for 133 pounds and the Montebello fighter didn’t come close. He weighed 135 1/2, and was given two hours to make 133.

The De La Hoya and Dorsey camps agreed on $5,000 as a settlement, and promoter Bob Arum kicked in another $2,500 for Dorsey. So, Dorsey made $32,500 instead of $25,000 and De La Hoya $95,000 instead of $100,000.

With two more victories, De La Hoya was to have met WBA junior-lightweight (130 pounds) champion Genaro Hernandez at the Forum in October. But some wondered Monday how he can fight at 130 when he can’t make 133.

“I’m astounded,” said Arum, who would co-promote any De LaHoya-Hernandez match.

“I want to know why the kid couldn’t make weight.”