What happened to Tommy from “Rocky V”? His tragic life after acting with Sylvester Stallone

In the 90s and when the rivalry between Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger was at its highest, the former decided to return to the franchise that propelled him to fame: “Rocky”.

In 1990 Stallone had the idea of ​​a story in which a retired Rocky would take over from a young boxing prodigy, even if it put him at odds with his own son.

The chosen one was Tommy “Machine” Gunn, a young man of great talent but losing ground and ignoring Rocky’s lessons in humility. To find someone to play the role, Stallone looked for someone with the necessary physique.

This is how Tommy Morrison was chosen, a 21-year-old with an imposing physique, who revealed in an ESPN documentary under his own name that he had been struggling to earn money since he was 15 years old.

Unlike Sylvester Stallone who began his career in adult films, Tommy was a professional boxer and it was his talent that caught the attention of Stallone, who invited him to participate in the fifth film of the saga.

• Sylvester Stallone also stars in “Expendables 2,” which is available on ViX+, ViX’s premium streaming service.

What happened to Tommy from ‘Rocky V’ after appearing with Sylvester Stallone?

Tommy Morrison was known as “The Duke” because he claimed to be related to John Wayne and a year before the movie “Rocky” he went on a record 19 unbeaten streak in the Heavyweight division, with 15 knockouts.

Tommy Morrison’s boxing career gained much more prominence after appearing alongside Sylvester Stallone. Although he characterized him as living extravagantly and having a taste for feasting and drinking.

Due to his reputation and good fighting record, he was given the opportunity to compete for a world championship in 1991 against Olympic champion Ray Mercer, although he was defeated.

But this experience did not lead him and after a series of victories, in 1993 he returned to fight for the world belt, this time against boxing legend George Foreman.

The 24-year-old beat the experienced 43-year-old to become the new world champion. However, the title lasted only 4 months and was defended by Michael Bentt, an almost unknown boxer.

Tommy Morrison’s Tragic Story After ‘Rocky V’

From the millions he earned from his fights and fame, the upset loss cost Tommy everything and he slowly had to work his way back to the top of the Heavyweight division.

He signed a contract in 1996 with promoter Don King to fight Art Weathers and the famous Mike Tyson. However, misfortune struck again and he tested positive for HIV, so his boxing license was revoked.

At the age of 27, the boxer always stated that the test was wrong and it was not until 2006 that a committee in Nevada allowed him to return to boxing. Although during that time he had experimented with mixed martial arts.

But that wasn’t the only scandal he was involved in, he was also married to two women at the same time, apart from being arrested for drink driving and drug possession.

Although he tried to revive his career by fighting and coming back negative, it was clear that his declining health was caused by his refusal to take HIV medication.

In 2011 he was in the news again when he was arrested again for drug possession and it was revealed that he was living in solitary confinement with his new wife Trisha Morrison, whom he married in 2009.

On September 1, 2013, the boxer died at home at the age of 44 due to respiratory acidosis and multiple organ failure resulting from HIV.

Although his wife sued the Nevada State Athletic Commission and Quest Diagnostics, which performed the health test in 1996, she denies that Tommy ever had HIV in his life.

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