Morrison OK'd to fight!

Former WBO heavyweight champion Tommy "The Duke" Morrison (46-3-1, 40 KOs) will have his first fight in just over ten years Thursday night at "The Harv" at Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort in Chester, WV. Morrison has been cleared to fight by the state boxing commission and will go against John Castle (4-2) in a non-televised bout.

"I'll be a better fighter this time around," said Morrison. "When George Foreman made his comeback he was a much more relaxed fighter which is what I plan to be. My return will be a breath of fresh air for the sport. I'm going to make people smile again..." Regarding his comeback fight, Morrison stated "Thursday is going be a big night, something I've been wanting to happen for a long time. However, it's step one. I'm coming out of the box. It's going to take time to get where I want to go -- but I have a plan and and reason for doing all of this."

Morrison's career was cut short when he tested HIV Positive in 1996. Morrison, however. has recently tested HIV-negative several times and is said to be healthy. He Much of Morrison's mainstream popularity is due to his movie role of "Tommy Gunn" in the film Rocky V.