Former heavyweight boxing champ Tommy Morrison has died in Omaha, the Tulsa World is reporting. He was 44.
Morrison died sometime Sunday night in Tulsa with his wife, Trisha, by his side, the newspaper reported. The cause of death has not yet been reported.
"It's true; he was with his wife when he passed," Tony Holden, Morrison's former promoter told The World.
Morrison was diagnosed with HIV in 1996 and was suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission after testing positive for the disease during a pre-fight physical. Three days later, Morrison confirmed that additional blood tests confirmed he had the illness.
The World reports that in recent years, Morrison vehemently denied that he was HIV-positive, even though he was prohibited from obtaining a boxing license in any state that has a boxing commission. He continued to fight abroad, appearing in a bout as recently as 2008 in Mexico.
In a recent ESPN.com update on Morrison's health, a family member reported that Morrison had been sustained during the last several months by a feeding tube and ventilator.
At the height of his career, Morrison was known as a knockout artist with a "devastating left hook." He composed a career 48-3-1 record and is best known for beating then WBO champ George Foreman in a 12-round decision in October of 1993 in Las Vegas.
Starring alongside Sylvester Stallone, Morrison also starred in the film Rocky V, playing the role of Tommy "The Machine" Gunn, a one-time protege of the retired Rocky Balboa character who grew up admiring the champ, only to later goad him into an epic street fight.
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