Morrison Is Hopeful but Scoffs at Miracle Cures

In the six weeks since he learned he has contracted HIV, former boxer Tommy Morrison has received more than 100 suggestions by mail on ways to overcome the disease.

Morrison doesn’t plan to follow any of them.

He has also received advice from his doctors about AZT and other medication designed to fight HIV, which causes AIDS.

Morrison doesn’t plan to follow their advice either. Not yet, anyway.

He has his own cure, for now.

A fitness fanatic, Morrison wants to see if he can maintain or increase his CD4 count, which indicates the level of infection, through exercise and heavy doses of juice supplements.

Morrison says he is simply not ready to try AZT. He has yet to feel any ill effects from the virus. So, he asks, why subject himself to the undesirable side effects associated with the medication, such as prolonged nausea, vomiting and fatigue?

“That [AZT] can be very toxic stuff,” Morrison said.

His doctors have agreed to let him try his self-help method for a month or so, as long as he continues to have his blood tested once a week.

“He’s scared to death right now,” said Tony Holden, Morrison’s manager. “The doctors won’t tell him not to try the natural way [to inhibit the virus]. They even encouraged him. That way, if it doesn’t work, when the time comes, he’ll be ready to try their way.”

Among the ideas sent to Morrison was one suggesting he drain the blood in his body, treat it and then re-inject it. Another suggestion was for a relaxation tape, which Morrison could receive with an instructor to show him how to get the most out of it, for the bargain price of $15,000.

“Things like that make you mad,” Holden said. “They are preying on people who don’t have a lot of money, and they are trying to take their very last penny.”

When he met the media a month ago, Morrison left no doubt that his boxing career was over. But now he even has hope in that area.

“They are on the cutting edge of finding a cure,” he said. “And if they do find a cure, I wouldn’t hesitate to get back in the ring.”

Many may scoff at Morrison’s ideas but of one thing there can be no doubt. He is creating a positive frame of mind. And that can be a valuable resource for any patient fighting a disease.

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The other side: On the day Morrison learned from a member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission that he had tested HIV-positive, he had been scheduled to fight Arthur Weathers.

Instead, Weathers sat around for nearly six weeks before finally climbing back into the ring last Tuesday night at the Long Beach Pyramid to fight Jeremy Williams.

Never has a boxer waited so long for so little.

Weathers was on the losing end of the shortest bout in California boxing history when Williams knocked him out in 10 seconds.

Still, Weathers is thankful he didn’t have to fight Morrison.

“Most definitely,” Weathers said. “Who wants to fight somebody who is HIV-positive?

“My heart goes out to Tommy, but it’s not the end of his life. He’s still the Duke [Morrison’s nickname] and everybody still loves him.”

Has Weathers talked to Morrison since the test results came back?

“No,” Weathers said, “I wouldn’t know what to say.”

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Add flash knockout: Although the 10-second bout is a state record, breaking the mark of 13 seconds, it is still five seconds short of a world record.

In the shortest fight on record, according to the Fight Fax record firm, Paul Rees knocked out Charlie Hansen in Boondall, Australia, in five seconds on June 19, 1991.

Until then, Al Carr’s knockout of Lew Massey at New Haven, Conn., in seven seconds on April 3, 1936, had been the record.

There was also another 10-second bout, Teddy Barker of Britain beating Bob Roberts of Nigeria in that short amount of time on Sept. 2, 1957 at Maesteg, Wales.

The record at the amateur level, according to Guinness’ book of boxing records, was set in a Golden Gloves match at Minneapolis on Nov. 4, 1947. Mike Collins finished off Pat Brownson with the first punch he threw. The referee did not even count, ending the bout at an elapsed time of four seconds.

The world record for a title fight was set in 1923 in New Zealand. Jim O’Sullivan knocked out Bill Bartlett for the New Zealand heavyweight title in 11 seconds.

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No laughing matter: The stage was set for a farce a week ago at the Olympic Auditorium.

Comedian Jay Leno had received permission from the California State Athletic Commission to work the corner of the master of the four-round fiasco, 300-pound-plus Eric “Butterbean” Esch, a farce himself in the eyes of those who see boxing as a sport.

But Leno, while squeezing all the laughs he could out of the latest appearance of this sumo boxer, took his own time in the ring very seriously.

Leno has a real appreciation of the sport.

“My father was a bantamweight in New York,” he said.

Leno was not about to add to the carnival atmosphere in the ring.

“The guy was working,” Leno said of Esch. “I didn’t want to get in his way. But I like him. He’s a colorful guest on our show.”

Still, there were more than a few disappointed faces when Butterbean knocked out his opponent, Billy McDonald, in the first round.

The thought of Leno working a corner the way he works an audience might have been worth the price of admission.

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The phenomenon continues for the Incredible Bulk. Esch, who scored another first-round knockout against another highly questionable opponent last Tuesday night at the Pyramid, will fight in April at Boston’s FleetCenter. And he will fight June 7 on the undercard of the Julio Cesar Chavez-Oscar De La Hoya bout at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace.

And, there are plans to stage a Butterbean fight on network television in May for something called the Four-Round Championship of the World.

And Leno was worried about integrity?

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Boxing Notes

Mike Weaver, 43, former World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion (40-16-1, 28 knockouts) will fight Wednesday at the Warner Center Marriott in a 10-round main event against Deric Ryals (6-1-1, four knockouts). . . . A pay-per-view show is being planned for the Pond of Anaheim on May 4. World Boxing Organization junior-featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera will defend his title against Jesse Benavides, who once held that crown. Mark Johnson and Francisco Tejedor will be fighting for the vacated International Boxing Federation flyweight title.

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Calendar

Wednesday--Mike Weaver vs. Deric Ryals, heavyweights, Warner Center Marriott, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday--Mark Lewis vs. Mario Morales, welterweights; Jerry Moran vs. Calvin Combs, light heavyweights, Irvine Marriott, 7:30 p.m.