Tommy Morrison and Donovan Ruddock put on quite a show on June 10, 1995, in Kansas City, MO.
Morrison, 26, was just under two years removed from losing his title to Michael Bentt after defeating legend George Foreman four months prior to that in 1993.
Ruddock, 31, had fought four out of six lead-up fights against past or present champions, including twice against Mike Tyson and once against Lennox Lewis.
The Fight
Morrison vs Ruddock was a remarkably tit-for-tat fight in which both boxers one-upped each other until the final TKO of the affair.
Ruddock got the show started by knocking down Morrison in round one off of a vicious uppercut. He was snappier to the punch and masterful at landing several counters.
Morrison retorted in the second round by letting his hands go. His combinations were precise and Ruddock’s punch count plummeted. Ruddock landed an uppercut after a slow start, but Morrison did not let it deter him as he gave Ruddock a taste of his own medicine, garnering a standing eight count good for a knockdown.
The third round saw both fighters download information and throw less punches while almost none of their hooks scored up until that point. Every other punch they threw found success.
Morrison and Ruddock split rounds three and four before Ruddock seemingly gained an advantage once more after round five. His straight right and counter left were the highlight of the round.
In round six however, Morrison would up the ante and after landing a blistering left hook that dropped Ruddock once more, piled on until the referee was forced to call the fight.
It’s not all too often that you see an “anything you can do I can do better” type of fight, but that’s exactly what this bout became. Both fighters refused to quit and continually one-upped each other until there was only room for one victor.
This was an action-packed fight that is sure to entertain.