James McKenzie Morrison Wins Vacant WBC United States Heavyweight Title Against Hasim Rahman Jr

Last night, in a Fite TV PPV contest built as the battle between the ‘sons of legends’, James McKenzie Morrison (20-0-2 18KOs) fought and Hasim Rahman Jr (12-1 6 KOs) for the WBC United States heavyweight title.

The intrigue for boxing fans came straight away, given the triple threat of a US heavyweight title being on the line, the two fighters being the sons of famed heavyweight pugilists, Hasim Rahman Sr being the man who iconically knocked out Lennox Lewis for the unified world title and Tommy Morrison also upsetting a legend by beating Evander Holyfield for the vacant WBO crown.

Fight Breakdown 

Mckenzie Morrison struggled to time the swinging left hook but kept marauding forward, grabbing the front foot in the contest. He finally timed a shorter left hook and used it to open up the space for a game-changing right hook that knocked the head back of Rahman jr.

After the shot, Rahman Jr just looked to potshot the jab without ferocity or venom, showing real signs of fatigue and the physically draining hurt that the punch had caused.

Once again, Morrison landed two rapid-fire hooks, just as Rahman looked to have found his footing and rhythm in the fight again, albeit without ever looking like disrupting Morrison’s pathway to victory. He then dropped his hands, maybe out of a combination of naivety and exhaustion and Morrison managed to secure a devastating knockdown.

Rahman was somehow allowed to continue and an uppercut, followed by a hook from Morrison on the bell meant the referee waved the fight off, not allowing Rahman the 10 seconds count and the 1-minute interval, given the leeway he had already shown him.

Assessment of Morrison 

Morrison certainly needs to work on his accuracy and arguably he won in such a concussive fashion because Rahman Jr didn’t cover up when he was tired and hurt. Nonetheless, Morrison is undoubtedly heavy-handed when he times his work.

Mac Truck’s first defence or the man rumoured to have dropped AJ before the first Ruiz fight 

Could the first defence for Morrison against young gun, Dacaree ‘Mac Truck’ Scott (7-0 6 KOs) be on the cards? At just 23 years old, he’s developed a reputation as a rising star and earlier this year, he was extended 10 rounds for the first time by the Egyptian Ahmed Hefny (13-2 5 KOs).

If he wanted to opt for a slightly less explosive fighter (but still with the often whispered rumours of dropping Anthony Joshua in sparring), Joey Dawejko (21-10-4) could be a good bit of matchmaking.

He’s won the WBC FECARBOX championship, so maybe the governing body would find him an appropriate opponent. He’s also mixed with better opposition than Morrison, so just like Mac Truck arguably it would constitute a step up in levels.