When Tommy “The Duke” Morrison Met Joe “The Boss” Hipp

On June 27 1992, a warm Saturday afternoon in Reno, Bally’s Hotel and Casino hosted an exciting Heavyweight matchup as Tommy “The Duke” Morrison squared off against Joe “The Boss” Hipp.
#tommymorrison #knockouts #boxing

[@mansfield61]

Tommy was very complimentary after the fight here. Much respect to both fighters. RIP Tommy.

[@ccrider3435]

Tommy should be kicking back in his big house, enjoying adulation and retirement right now.

[@erice5372]

always listen to your doctors, folks.@@ccrider3435

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

@@ccrider3435 He chose another path, unfortunately... it led to his premature death... His story is worth repeating for others though... RIPTommy Morrison..

[@BrotherPatriot]

@@peterfitzpatrick7032

[@garycausey8332]

Unfortunately, poor management both of financial and protection to help focus a group youthful deadly friends from killing Tommy thru IV drugs coupled with behavioral stupid youthful peer pressure killed a possible white heavy weight champion. Don’t Throw racial crap at me.

[@danielsjoquist259]

In 1993 i came into train and Joe Hipp was there, dude look so big to me I was fighting at 178lbs at the time. After warmups my coach said jump in the ring with him for a few rounds of sparring. I was like coach that’s Joe Hipp and he is like 250, coach said don’t worry he will be easy on you., yeah right. He actually did go easy. But i remember him just touching me with the jab and pushing me back like 3 feet. After practice he hung out and talked with everybody. Dude was so down to earth and nice. 6 years later I was working in Yakima Wa. Staying at hotel. And randomly ran into him. He said he was staying there because his house had caught on fire. He didn’t remember me at first but once I once brought up that it was in Spokane Washington he did, he then came over to my room and got drunk with us. He passed out on my bed, I had to sleep on the floor. Ha ha, you just can’t make shit like this up, crazy!

[@tytiger7176]

Panties stopped Morrison

[@jaya.0069]

@@tytiger7176 Yep! Nasty panties!

[@chriswelcome8102]

This is one of those fights that goes so far under the radar it's crazy. Morrison suffered a broken hand and jaw and Joe Hipp had a shattered cheek. Neither of them were willing to give an inch. Most of boxing matches now is just two guys holding each other while refs refuse to take points away

[@BrotherPatriot]

^^ Right? Boxing of today is NOT the boxing of the past. In some ways good...for safety...in many other ways it's just so obviously...less than those heroes of the past.

[@pumazpawz]

Absolutely

[@davidtammaro7137]

Yes,I remember this fight a absolute war

[@KINGFAROOQ1216]

Soon people will look at it the way we look at the gladiatorial games in ancient Rome yeah I like to say it's for the good too and of course it is for everybody that's not a spectator but we all wish we could see a game or two from the year 100 AD

[@WayneDunkley-fn2xe]

Now let's be clear on one thing from the outset: THIS was a Cherry 🍒 Pick gone badly wrong!! Sure, Joe Hipp is kinda like Randall "Texx" Cobb in some ways. Can take an awful beating & yeah, he's got quite a few losses on his record but Joe's record alone doesn't tell you the full story!! He comes to FIGHT, make no mistake about that. We know he's no 🚫 slick boxing, fast moving counterpuncher that can turn your lights out with 1 bang, okay. But he's also got a chin like a friggin Anvil, like Gennady Golovkin!! But THAT'S the ONLY comparison to Triple G!! Joe Hipp has that inate ability to make YOU look bad, even when you're doing well & following your corner man's instructions to the letter!! And he's funny too, the kinda guy who you could meet in a bar & straight away you'd just end up getting along with him, y'know!! You GO, Joe!! He could've bailed outta that fight but he never. He just came back swinging from the Hip, LOL. Pun intended. Morrison was gasping for air, wondering just how the heck this guy's still in front of me & taking my very best shots? Cos he's Joe "The Boss" Hipp & IF your team had of done their homework, YOU, Tommy, wouldn't have had such a hard night's work. Don't Cherry Pick.

[@whiteshark0000]

i can remember seeing this for the first time years ago and thinking that Joe Hipp was a warrior ,so tough he soaked up some punches from one of the biggest hitters in the heavyweight division ever and just kept coming at him.yep that guy was a credit to his tribe ...i will always remember Joe Hipp

[@TimNelson]

I remember this fight like it was yesterday. Watching it live was breathtaking. Everyone knew Joe Hipp was no joke. This contest proved it in spades. Respect!

[@joemachol.3968]

I'm with you. I still have this fight on VHS tape. Always loved Joe Hipp. He was a fighter.

[@billrossignon8621]

That was a brutal fight between two good heavyweights. Tommy dug deep and won.

[@ronnieboucherthecrystalcraftsm]

broken right hand and jaw = went on to KO Joe = superman effort .

[@42much1]

Congrats to these two warriors who gave everything they had in that ring.

[@BrotherPatriot]

Yup...that's a REAL boxing match with some stout heavy weights.

[@catkeys6911]

Hipp was Toughness personified.

[@grappler240]

Tommy must have felt like he was hitting a punching bag FULL OF CONCRETE!! Hipp is SO damn tough. 👊🏻😊

[@timhobbs1229]

Joe's trainer Pete,is one tough guy himself. He's my uncle in-law. He's deep in his 80s , almost 90 and lives in Washington State. He still stays healthy and last time he was visited he was doing pushups. Pete wants said, if Joe had followed his lead more closely he could have been world champion. God bless them both.

[@pmacc3557]

Wow great stuff, a warrior til the end👍👍👍​@@timhobbs1229

[@joeypilotte5864]

I can't believe the shots he took

[@JohnVentarino-ey5ln]

Tommy Morrison was a champion excellant fighter and i wish he was still here to enjoy his life he deserved it. God bless you TOMMY GUN MORRISSON.

[@kennethrisner8648]

I remember seeing this fight live. Going into the fight I was the biggest Tommy Morrison fan. I told myself Tommy will ko this unknown guy by the 2nd round. But as the fight progressed and Joe stuck around, round after round after round, I became a fan of his as well.

[@ricpowers1475]

Amazing, amazing fight. I never heard of this guy fighting Tommy. What a tenacious beast....

[@user-ph1dm6jk6x]

He was great and the kids he has helped in his life think so to including my self. I had no corner man 1992 Joe stepped in my corner it was the greatest nights in my life. thanks Joe!❤😊

[@pmacc3557]

​@@user-ph1dm6jk6xgreat stuff 👍👍. He looks a tough tough man.

[@user-yd4yq1ew8c]

i remember this fight....what a WAR!!! Boxing will never be the same, I grew up watching on Saturdays and boxing on Sundays, will always have a place in my heart and life!!! BOXING!!!

[@Flexb123]

Yea once HBO stopped showing fights every weekend pretty much, it got alot tougher to stay tuned in. That combined with many fighters going the MMA route instead. But those weekends when the big fights were on (Oscar, Jones jr, Tyson etc) those were like Christmas.

[@chrismarsh438]

I miss HBO boxing Saturday nights

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

Joe Hipp was one of my favorite boxers when I was a kid. Very exciting to watch and always seemed to get better after a bit of punishment.

[@bajaborracho9139]

Joe Hipp was no slouch! Dude could straight up fight.🙏💪👍🥊

[@T.Z.M4N]

I remember this fight and thought Tommy had met his match.Maybe he took Hipp to lightly and he had to dig deep to get him.

[@ccrider3435]

Imagine the guys that picked a fight with him in bars.. lol.

[@liberty5069]

LIke the commentator said in the beginning, Joe HIpp was not one you would want to be up against in a barroom fight.

[@John-mn9rp]

Tommy Morrison had a glass jaw, or he would have been undefeated.

[@mattmclean1306]

WOW. WHAT A FIGHT. WHAT AN ERA IN BOXING. TYSON, WARD, MORRISON, HIPP. AMAZING FIGHTS

[@domturiace670]

Hipp was a great fighter just had bad knee issues which prevented him from ever being higher rated .Native spirit

[@alfonsecoppola5938]

he was really tough,good skills

[@Hopealliswell6054]

Name one notable fighter he beat. “Great” is a stretch.

[@domturiace670]

@@Hopealliswell6054 The same way Gatti was good . Win or lose good fights cause heart .

[@GRADGRAD-jq9nk]

Damn good fight!

[@aceventura5398]

Both earned the money this fight.

[@JasonDavies-vf3kl]

2 tough cookies!!

[@FerrellKatz]

Mr. Hipp could take a punch no matter where...he took some shots to the midsection early that would crumple most men. One tough dude!

[@richbrake9910]

Hipp was raised by Blackfoot Indians who taught him to stay tough.

[@scottowens1535]

We love our Washington Brother. I remember..you made the state proud!

[@savagesword6393]

That Mercer ko was BRUTAL!

[@kenjenkins7183]

Yeah it was. He caught him good but ref should have stepped in to stop the fight after about 3 shots instead of the 10 he let Mercer throw. That could have done permanent damage

[@johnlawler2455]

@@kenjenkins7183 It probably did.

[@MayorofDipshittery-lq7if]

Tommy could have done so much more but he finally, sadly defeated himself.

[@User39.]

so true

[@PeterFlynn-bp5fi]

Yeah

[@jamesbrackett575]

What a shame

[@infiad1275]

All of us could be so much more. He held one of the belts. He did good.

[@Daniel90210]

They lied to tommy telling him he had AIDS when that was not true, lies and deception defeated him.

[@stevehammel2939]

These guys put on quite a show for everyone.

[@andyvitale6071]

Hipp had some chin.

[@majicogarcia8417]

Hipp had some sweet chin music played for him by Tommy.

[@andyvitale6071]

@@majicogarcia8417 yep wasn't a walk in the park.

[@user-kh2ig7ew3w]

@@majicogarcia8417 And lived to tell about it.

[@bobsy17]

Now that’s what you call a heavyweight fight, AMAZING! ,sadly nothing comes close these days …

[@SatoriShorts-vf3ch]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😆🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@levistoner]

Today’s boxer should take note from both these guys on how to take an L. You train harder for next fight.

[@hyena131]

What a dust up. Makes me appreciate the fact I'm a spectator in boxing and not a participant.

[@felixmadison5736]

Man! That is one of the best match-ups I have ever seen! These guys are two tough bastards you NEVER want to mess with! Talk about heart!?! I echo the sentiments of Tommy Morrison after the fight.

[@darrenpollard480]

No he couldn't because he didn't. KO

[@Nahulanham]

Both guys fought an outstanding fight here. Especially Morrison who overcame his tendency to get winded after five rounds. Hip is a devastating and tough fighter. Tommy worked out in the same gym where I worked out in Tulsa.

[@michaelmohrle1773]

Brutal fight, damm...

[@ront3333]

Can't help but love Joe Hipp.

[@jukee67]

These two guys were warriors in the ring that night just like Tommy was in life and Joe continues to be today. Rest in Peace Tommy. Hope all is well Joe.

[@eazystreet5507]

At his peek WOW!

[@whitecapmadness7181]

Hip was a beast. Imagine if he juiced too

[@larryguilfoyle5731]

You don’t see fights like this anymore, Tommy was a exciting fighter

[@TheRmm1976]

Those of us who watched Joe Hipp fight on USA network knew that he was going to be a tough fight for Morrison... Hipp was legit.

[@gwmba1989]

Tommy was hardly ever involved in a dull fight. He definitely was one of the hardest punchers in the history of heavyweight boxing. However, his chin and stamina sometimes let him down but luckily not in this war with the rugged and durable Hipp. Great fight and an excellent win for Tommy who went on to defeat George Foreman, Carl Williams and Razor Ruddock. Tommy was a notch below the Riddick Bowe's, Evander Holyfield's, Mike Tyson's and Lennox Lewis' of this world but he was just as entertaining to watch as any of them. RIP Tommy!

[@michaelorosco1436]

That was a great fight!

[@timothylduggan2642]

What a good fight.

[@KennethMorrison-tv1nk]

I remember this fight .It was live on usa Tuesday night fights.Damn good fight.

[@78sound]

I used to watch that, remember Foreman coming back? He was on there

[@KennethMorrison-tv1nk]

@78sound I can remember foreman on Tuesday fights I forgot who it with though.I remember made a comeback on Tuesday fights though.Alot of good fights were on their.When boxing was boxing.

[@mytruthmylife8725]

Joe Hipp is the first native American heavyweight , hes the father to my friends & an honorable man. Grateful to have known this family. This was the fight ive been told about over the years. ❤

[@davidhayes4650]

That was heavyweight boxing at its finest 👏 👏 👏

[@kenwoods9247]

Joe Hipp was incredible in the ring! He could dish it and he could take it like no man on earth!

[@johna6968]

A real heavyweight brawl. The good old days

[@user-gt6qx1nz7t]

GO TOMMY GO TOMMY GO 🥊💯✨️

[@vinlab5937]

Absolute warriors 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@terrykirk6951]

🥊JOE'S on tough dude fighting with a leg brace.

[@user-il6zg6lz7k]

Loved Tommy.

[@GiantSlayer512]

Hipp showed a big heart and some clever boxing

[@ralphcantrell3214]

Man, this was a great fight.

[@TheMichaelBeck]

I was stationed with Ray Mercer at Ft. Carson in the mid 80s. Ray knocked Morrison into another dimension. GO ARMY!!

[@jcdthevoice3896]

I loved watching all these fights as a teen. They're still awesome to watch now.

[@JohnDoe-fn7ml]

Legendary!!

[@giqwaju3691]

Morrison returning to his roots fighting Skinz. Joe Hipp was a family favorite for us, as we liked having a tough guy represent for The Nations.

[@bryanphillips8143]

Indian Joe Hipp was no f^^&ing joke. God bless both these men.

[@johnmoore9862]

Good fight between two good heavyweights, good show from Hipp, good show from Morrison.

[@mrlindsays]

Joe Hipp fights just like Rocky!

[@Duppavich]

What an epic battle! How do you think these guys would go against Fury?

[@johnlawler2455]

The 90s and the 70s were the two golden ages for heavyweight boxing.

[@chancevonfreund9145]

Joe Hipp was awesome! If he didn't have a bad knee he would have been unstoppable!

[@jwf9716]

Wow, what a great fight!!!!

[@larrybrown9883]

What a fight. If you truly love the sport of boxing THAT is what you call a fight. Two big warriors going to toe to toe exchanging equally powerful shots with momentum changes throughout capped off by a big time shot as an exclamation point.

[@jameswhite2198]

Damn good fight 👏👏👏

[@johnboylong40]

Broke hand and jaw and dug deep. Respect for both fighters. RIP Tommy

[@goodbonezz1289]

Wow. That was quite a fight.

[@jamescastillo2405]

That's the kind of boxing I like, just Straight up toe to toe!, Full tilt, with no excuses, just awesome, these cats were where true warriors👊🤨👍

[@CraigLondon]

Great scrap from back in the day :)

[@guywilliams6569]

Tommy "the JUICE" Morrison!!!

[@tradesman1000]

Great fight from two legends. 👍🏻

[@alarmpostenauge1403]

Was für ein Kampf 😅 Beide waren richtige Löwen 🦁

[@Team-fabulous]

This fight makes our modern heavy weights look like a bunch of snowflakes...

[@sbonamo]

Nostalgia is a helluva drug...

[@striperkid]

I'd like to see you jump in the ring with one of today's heavyweights. Easy to spout garbage from your couch.

[@Team-fabulous]

@@striperkid yeah and you appear to be very good at it.. Clown..

[@Team-fabulous]

@@sbonamo and it can sometimes point out the truth...

[@SatoriShorts-vf3ch]

@@Team-fabulous this is low level boxing. if someone like joe hipp would fight a "modern heavyweight" like zhang or wilder he would just be considered another tomato can or "cab driver".

[@lastrada52]

I like that Native American Joe Hipp. Guts, determination & stamina. Of course, Tommy was always in there with tough guys but lots of people don't know just how good Joe was. No pushover. No second-tier fighter. Great fight by two warriors.

[@james3339]

What a great fight. Joe was throwing tomahawks and Tommy persevered ❤

[@jessekauffman3336]

we not only need an American champion we need a great white hope

[@615AL]

That was an awesome fight. Not a dull moment in it's entirety. Both great boxers, I will always say Tommy could have beat Mercer but he wasn't prepared enough for that fight.

[@Joeblow-ms3cv]

Wow, I'm impressed. Both heavyweights are seriously good. Really quite exceptional actually. And the post fight comments by each showed decentcy abd even humility. Bravo men.

[@lichtsoldat7697]

Both tough men. Great fight.

[@User39.]

Left hook at 1:04....wicked

[@amigodawn1728]

Respect and RIP Tommy.

[@johnbelshaw6412]

Outstanding

[@casualguy393]

Tommy and Joe tried to class this fight up, but they couldn't hide the Rock 'em Sock 'em! Everything they threw from bell to bell was with hurtful intentions. Hats off to Joe and like he said "he caught me", which is much better than leaving it in the hands of the judges.

[@bobymox]

Crazy,this warriors are so underrated,and underpayed.Fight for movies!

[@aaron032977]

One of the hardest fights to watch. Brutal

[@robertpotwin]

I remember watching this fight live on TV, truly dramatic, underrated scrap

[@josephparsons1011]

😂Joe hipp would give today's heavyweights a real run for there money.He was just a straight up tough guy that had above average r boxing skills

[@kranson8514]

This was undoubtedly a very rare legendary fight, both at maximum effort and skill input to win.

[@MIGELGLORIA]

REST IN POWER LEGEND❤

[@randyhilgeman2819]

That looked like it would have been a great match to watch live

[@disseminationnetwork]

Respect to both, pure class!

[@glennbranton623]

I remember watching this fight when it happened, I was a big Morrison fan but Joe Hipp was so tough that I became a fan of his as well. It’s a shame either man had to lose that fight, both of them dug deep that night. I still say Tommy had the best left hook of any heavyweight I’ve ever seen and I have been watching boxing since the 1970’s.

[@Smokem673]

Wow!! What a great fight!!

[@thyslop1737]

Wow! What a fight!

[@superwildside4585]

never heard of him til a 5 years ago...from USA,Too.

[@craigthacker]

Wow! Joe was definitely winning on points until the knockout. I have never seen this bout before, Joe was an excellent fighter.

[@migmagingenieria]

Tremendous fight, both real warriors!!!!

[@ellieprice3396]

That was a hell of a fight.

[@proudamerican1278]

This is a reminder of what great warriors boxers are

[@dp6217]

that was one helluva of a fight Joe had some chin............

[@ceesklumper]

They both sure earned their pay that day