Michael Moorer Back In Action

Former heavyweight champ Michael Moorer returns to the ring

They just can’t stay away. Michael Moorer seemed sincere, and no doubt was sincere, when he claimed that fighting was behind him and his future lay in training fighters and not hitting them, but the more things change the more they stay the same, and the former heavyweight champion of the world is lacing em up and returning to the fray.

On Saturday, December 9, at the Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood, Florida, Moorer’s return to glory starts with a 10-round bout against Tyson look-alike and half-brother Cliff Couser (26-10-2, 14 KOs).

Southpaw Moorer (47-4-1, 37 KOs) ruled the light heavyweight ranks for two years before bulking up to get it on with the big boys. In April 1994, he won the WBA and IBF belts when he decisioned, with a little (or a lot of) help from his trainer at the time Teddy Atlas, the reigning champion Evander Holyfield.

Moorer held the title until he was upset by big right cross of Big George Foreman in June 1996, but regained the IBF crown by outpointing the German Axel Schulz. Moorer lost the title back to Holyfield in 1997 and retired shortly thereafter. After a three year hiatus, Moorer returned to action and won eight of his next 11 fights, including a ninth round TKO over Vassiliy Jirov in December 2004. That was Double M’s last fight to date.

St. Louis’ Couser, aka The Twin Tyson, has been knocking around the heavyweight division for a decade and has wins over James “Quick” Tillis, Jorge Luis Gonzalez and Dale Crowe. In April the Twin Tyson scored a fourth round TKO win over Troy Beets.

Also on the card, Roman Greenberg (22-0, 15 KOs), from Tel Aviv, Israel, is making his U.S. pay-per-view debut. Because of his age (24 years old) and size (6-foot-3) Greenberg has been tagged as a heavyweight to watch.

Tickets for Night of The Heavyweights are priced from $25 to $150. Doors open at 6:30 and the first fight starts at 7:30. For more information call the Hard Rock Live Box Office or visit www.ticketmaster.com.