Tommy & Dawn Two…
In better days
I’m baaaaack…
And just in time to share a Tommy Morrison tale or two while I dig myself out from a short vacation and prepare to unleash shocking new revelations about former Kansas City boxer Tommy Morrsion.
Morrison was practically a franchise in my column at the Star for 16 years. From the earliest revelations about his unbridled passion for Elvis and exotic, wild animals – while he pissed off a reported $12 million in career earnings – to his current brush with death as a penniless shadow of the fair-haired boy we once knew.
But return with me now, to those heady days when Tommy seemingly could do no wrong even while actually doing just about everything wrong.
Like the time he bedded & married a pair of comely blondes named Dawn.
Think of it as a double marriage.
Dateline 1996 – just prior to Morrison’s infamous career-ending HIV diagnosis.
Tommy & Dawn One by Phil Buber
“On the morning of Morrison’s HIV press conference in Tulsa, Dawn Two left a love note on Morrison’s bed that Dawn One found first,” ESPN reported on the two Dawns in 2003. “Now at her wit’s end, D1 invited D2 over to Morrison’s apartment, and D2 showed up and spilled everything. ‘I wanted to pick up the coffee table and smash her with it, ‘ D1 says. Morrison arrived later and calmed both women down, but he knew he would have to pick one.
“In some ways, the HIV revelation had forced his hand. He wanted a legal partner now, and he chose D1 on a whim. He even got a tattoo of D1’s face on his upper back, with the caption, ‘Dawn You Sexy Bitch Morrison.’ They were married in Tijuana on May 18, 1996. When D2 found out, she says she had ‘a nervous breakdown’ that sent her to the hospital for three days. So a guilty Morrison started seeing D2 again, and they got married in Tijuana Sept. 17, 1996.”
Here’s how Morrison’s Dawn One / Dawn Two bust unfolded:
“Eventually D1 caught on, ” ESPN wrote. “One day D2 called the house and the name ‘Dawn Morrison’ showed up on caller ID. Another time, when D1 stopped at a Tulsa Quik Stop, the attendant said, ‘That’s funny. Another Dawn Morrison was in here the other day. Looked just like you.’ ”
Dawn One bailed on Morrison two years later when he checked into the slammer on drug and firearms charges. But Dawn Two was still there for him when he got out 14 months later.
“On the day he was released from (prison in) Little Rock, D2 picked him up wearing high heels, a black leather coat and nothing underneath, ” ESPN wrote. “On the way home they made one stop. To have devil horns added to his D1 tattoo.”
The couple was “expecting and hoping” for a call from actor Sylvester Stallone about a role in the upcoming movie “Rocky VI,” ESPN added.
Tristin
Dawn Two remarried Morrison in 2001 before finally throwing in the towel in 2007 and moving on with her life and their young son, Tristin Duke Morrison, now 9.
Prior to that, everything had been more-or-less rosy in the Bible Belt for about two years, Dawn Two told me in 2006, as their relationship unraveled.
“Then he started hanging out with the town trash,” she said. “And people really rallied around me here – they stepped up and helped me with the boys.”
If she had it all to do again, I asked?
“Um, some people have asked me that, ” Dawn mused. “And out of anger, I feel like I’ve wasted 12 years on this man. But if I had it to do over, I would do it again – and I’d change a few things. I’d do it all over again if I knew I was going to get those three years of him being the best Tommy he could be, and he was. Those three years made the other nine years worth it. Because he was a wonderful, hands-on father. Every pregnant woman should have him for (her baby’s) father – he just babied me. He was wonderful in the delivery room.”
Dawn was even charitable in characterizing their nasty split.
“He says it’s my fault for filing for divorce, ” she told me. “But when he stays with another woman for 28 days straight …”
Comments section devotees may note that Dawn did not return my calls this past week, opting instead to stick up for Tommy and admonish the comments crowd.
“Y’all should be ashamed of yourselves,” she wrote. “Show some respect for a dying man. Even if you don’t like Tom, try thinking about his kids who are dealing with losing their Dad at any moment. Don’t you think that there is a chance they may be reading this and here y’all are talking about their Dad’s corpse? It’s disgusting…
“To be honest, I’m his ex-wife and there is no love lost between me and Tom. But still yet, I have a 14 yr old and a 9 yr old that love their Dad, no matter what mistakes he made. His 2 adult sons love him and are having a really hard time dealing with this. He’s still just ‘Dad.’ Be a smart mouth if it makes you feel better. Maybe one day, if you have kids, you’ll have to look into your kids’ eyes and tell them their Mom is dying. Even with your flippant, mocking, disrespectful attitude, I hope you never have to give your kids that news and watch them cry. It will rip your heart out. I wouldn’t wish that on you or anyone else.”
Ugh, this reeks of stupid is as stupid does. The more I learn about this clown and his affairs the less I think of him. The Tijuana marriages (PLURAL) tipped me off to the train wreck to ensue.
Ummm Dude, I think you meant to say multiply train wrecks.
she makes a fair point.
Hmmmm. Last time I checked, he married Freeman in Vegas, not Tijuana. And my son Justin will get a kick out of you putting a pic of him on here and calling him Tristin. I am not sticking up for Tom. I’m sticking up for my children during a difficult time.
I am sorry to hear of Tommy’s passing, you and your boys are in my prayers. Make no apologies for protecting your children and keeping their fathers spirit alive in their heart.
Sorry you are having to deal with this nonsense Dawn. I’m confident that most of the self righteous folks commenting here wouldn’t want all the details of their lives written out for everyone to see. Hang in there 😉
Tommy Morrison passed away this morning. May God have mercy on his soul. RIP.
All of his children, the innocent ones will need time to grieve.
History will show his legacy.
My condolences to Tommy’s loved ones. I was a big fan of the man’s boxing career and despite the turmoil of his personal life, show some respect. I lost a brother to AIDS and seeing it first hand, it’s a bad way to go. RIP Tommy and thanks for the memories of an outstanding boxing career.
having known tommy since the start and seeing the way he lived
his life…his kids should be proud of their dad.
Decisions in life can affect many people…but tommy made his
decisions and stuck to them. Good or bad…it was
his life and as we say “he did it his way”.
lots of laughs…lots of great moments….going to the rocky 5
premiere in kc….working with tommy on projects….the
way he was focused.
His decisions were made…he lived life more in 44 years
than most people in 100 years.
Iam surprised at the coverage his passing has gotten. But people
really liked this guy….small town kid makes it to thetop and
stars in huge movie…..
During the time he was fighting…the peoplefrom espnsaid
that when tommy was on espn back in the early 90’s…
their ratings would skyrocket. He was indeed more popular
and liked than many of us here inkc realized.
people loved this guy. He was always willing to sign an
autograph or stop and say hello to everyone.
rip tommy. and god bless his family/friends!!!!!!!!!!! especially
the kids!!!!!!!
Hey harlinator, ‘memba when you helped Ben Franklin discover electricity back in the day?
Yeah, me neither.
Sod off.
It seems very interesting that D2 would blame her failed marriage to The Duke on ,The” town trash ” ?Didn’t Tommy lose D1 to town trash ? Someone always looks to blame someone for being trashy, when trashy is looking them right back in the mirror.. I know more about things going wrong with the couple and their seperation years ago.. The town trash was NOT town trash, but a real good excuse for the couple’s trouble… Reality is there was trouble from the very beginning !!And when the Morrisons had small town, country cops in TN. looking to make a name for themselves , hiding truths , telling lies and breaking laws themselves, it’s not hard to get a rally going for miss Dawn… It is all very sad that a soul is lost and now gone with no more time to get it right… After all the years that D2 has been with Tommy, she should be able to tell the whole truth , not just lay blame. And wasn’t it already proven that her oldest Son is Not the biological son of Tommy Morrison ? Come on already.. You can’t argue with truth even though it may hurt or even make you look bad in some people’s eyes, isn’t the truth much better for your soul…
The truth always comes out. Tommy Morrison had HIV. He gave that virus to my best friend that he dated in the 90’s She died in 2006 from AIDS that Tommy Morrison gave her. He killed my best friend..
What about her???
The story of Tommy Morrison’s life will be the fodder for a “Rocky” movie. I hope the writers get it right and leave out the speculation that a lot of people present here and elsewhere. But moreover I hope somebody doesn’t sell his story to The Enquirer for $5,000 or some dumbass thing. Above all Tommy was not Cheap and the proceeds should go his kids and not someone who befriended him at a low spot in his life to cash in. His kids should benefit from his story…the good, the bad or the ugly.
Isn’t it against the law to post names and pictures of minors in media outlets? Maybe thats just in newspapers and TV. hmm…