Darrin Morris
Encyclopedia
Darrin Morris was an American
super middleweight
boxer
, nicknamed "The Mongoose".
Morris was born in Detroit and died in West Palm Beach. He once was a sparring partner for Sugar Ray Leonard
, and he achieved a professional record of 28-2-1 with 18 KOs.
The World Boxing Organization
(WBO) twice moved Morris up in its super-middleweight rankings in 2001, despite the fact that he had died of HIV-related meningitis
the previous October. Morris was ranked #7 at the time of his death and #5 when the WBO discovered the error. WBO president Francisco Varcarcel
said, "We obviously missed the fact that Darrin was dead. It is regrettable." One week after British
newspaper The Independent
broke the story, one of the three men ranking the boxers, Gordon Volkman, still had not heard that Morris was dead. In addition, Morris had only fought once in the three years before his death, beating a boxer with only 15 wins out of 78 fights.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
super middleweight
Super middleweight
Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s...
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, nicknamed "The Mongoose".
Morris was born in Detroit and died in West Palm Beach. He once was a sparring partner for Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
, and he achieved a professional record of 28-2-1 with 18 KOs.
The World Boxing Organization
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
(WBO) twice moved Morris up in its super-middleweight rankings in 2001, despite the fact that he had died of HIV-related meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
the previous October. Morris was ranked #7 at the time of his death and #5 when the WBO discovered the error. WBO president Francisco Varcarcel
Francisco Varcarcel
Francisco Valcarcel is a Puerto Rican lawyer who is also president of the World Boxing Organization.-Brief biography:Valcarcel grew in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, he studied law at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in Río Piedras, graduating with honors.He began private practice in an office...
said, "We obviously missed the fact that Darrin was dead. It is regrettable." One week after British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
newspaper The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
broke the story, one of the three men ranking the boxers, Gordon Volkman, still had not heard that Morris was dead. In addition, Morris had only fought once in the three years before his death, beating a boxer with only 15 wins out of 78 fights.