ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 8, 1992                   TAG: 9202080131
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short


BOXER GETS OK TO TRAIN AT VMI

Heavyweight boxer Tommy "Duke" Morrison has received permission from VMI to use the school's facilities as a training site for an upcoming fight.

"We got final approval from VMI today," said Morrison's trainer Tom Virgets, a former assistant track coach at VMI. "We're going to spend a month there and see if it makes a difference."

Morrison, who played boxer Tommy Gunn in the movie "Rocky V," is 28-1 with 23 knockouts. He will come to VMI on Feb. 20 to begin training for a fight March 20 on the undercard of the Thomas Hearns vs. Iran Barkley matchup in Las Vegas.

"Tommy is popular in Kansas City, and there are a lot of distractions," said Virgets, who added he wanted to see if the move to VMI would make Morrison "more hungry. When you have more discipline it makes you want more success. Where else can you have a better disciplined and spartan environment than VMI?" - Staff Report



by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB