From the Ring to the Pen: Tommy Morrison Sentenced to Two Years in Arkansas

Friday, January 14th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Former heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Morrison is headed to prison. Friday, Morrison pleaded guilty to drug charges for which he was arrested in Fayetteville last September. A judge sentenced him to ten years in prison, but suspended eight years. The Oklahoma native has had a string of run-ins with the police in two states and up to now has avoided serving any serious time.

Morrison is no stranger to the limelight. His rise to fame in the boxing world began right after his graduation from Jay High School. He had a distinguished boxing career and even captured the heavyweight title from George Foreman in 1993.

Three years later, he contracted H-I-V and retired from the sport. It was then that his struggles began and his image began to change. In July 1998, Broken Arrow police arrested Morrison for drunk driving and traffic violations. A Tulsa County judge spared him from serving any jail time and sentenced Morrison last September to probation along with a $2,200 fine.

Less than one week later, police officers in Fayetteville, Arkansas stopped Morrison for another traffic violation and found cocaine, marijuana and a gun in his car. A judge released him on bond until he could stand trial on the charges in March 2000. On Thanksgiving Day, Fayetteville police arrested him again on complaints of public intoxication and possessing a gun illegally. The gun possession charge stems from Morrisonâ€™s prior felonies. His bond was revoked and he was sent to jail.

Now that heâ€™s been sentenced, Morrison is being held in the Washington County jail, but he will be turned over to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. The department will decide where he will serve his two years.