TOP-LINERS Herbie Hide and Tommy Morrison turned up the heat as the countdown to their WBO heavyweight title clash at the Hong Kong Stadium continued yesterday.
The fighters gave diametrically opposed views of both their own and their opponents' abilities with just five days to go before Sunday's showdown.
American Morrison, the challenger and former title holder, spoke after a sparring and training session at the American Club in Tai Tam yesterday.
'This is the most important fight of my career. I always fight to the level of my competition. When I lost the title to Michael Bentt there was no incentive for me.' Morrison, 25, lost his first WBO challenge to Ray Mercer in 1991, then won it from George Foreman in June last year, only to surrender the belt to Bentt in his second defence. Hide then took the title from Bentt in March this year.
'The motivation was not there against Bentt,' said Morrison whose professional record reads 41-2-1. 'Now with the title at stake the motivation is back. The first time I saw Herbie Hide was against Bentt.
'I see a guy who is very straight up. I see a lot of vulnerability. What will he do when someone hits him back or when his back is against the wall. I didn't recognise Bentt in that fight. He looked like he didn't want to be there.
'I see Hide in the position I was in when I fought Ray Mercer. When it came to the moment of truth things collapsed around me. I had won some fights, but nobody decent. I see that scenario with Hide.
