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In the June 3 rematch, Morrisey was more prepared to start it appeared, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Hyer in the second half of the first round and the veteran was fortunate to survive the first stanza. The second round was nearly as bad, but he caught Morrisey with an uppercut early in the third which seemed to change the momentum.
The middle rounds were pretty cautious and dull, but the general opinion seemed to be that Morrisey had done enough to take the lead. In the seventh, Hyer controlled the action getting in several combinations and closing the gap significantly. Morrisey responded with a big right hand late in the 8th, and that might have all but sewed it up for him. The ninth was explosive with big shots both ways, but neither fighter went down. Hyer had his chances in the tenth, both fighters tired and Morrisey slipped, then absorbed several big shots when the fight resumed.
The scorecards read 96-94 Morrisey, 95-95, and 96-94 Morrisey ... another good fight though not as consistently good as the last one, a majority decision for 21-year-old John Morrisey who becomes the first heavyweight champion(North America and US)! Hyer was more accurate by far and actually landed more punches, but Morrisey's activity won over the judges. I have to say you could make a really good argument for Tom Hyer on this one -- but the only verdict that matters went against him.
Morrisey went on to defend against Butcher Poole(solid UD12) but had a lot more trouble with George McChester in a fight a couple days before Christmas to end the year. McChester had the better of the first three rounds against the sluggish and possibly overconfident champ, but then Morrisey did much better espescially in the fifth and it looked like he might be on his way to rally. McChester dropped him with a big right early in the sixth, and Morrisey struggled to get up after an eight-count, somehow surviving the round. A great recovery and a dominant seventh put him back in the fight, though definitely behind.
McChester restored order in the 8th, but it was short-lived. A real slugfest in the ninth round as both fighters were staggered but stayed up. Morrisey continued to pound away, hurting McChester in the 11th and putting him down for the first time midway through the final 12th round. He was up at 8, and the champion couldn't finish him off -- which looked like it would cost him the title.
This was a real brawl, unlike the more cautious and technical fights he's had against Hyer and Poole. Both fighters took a lot of damage. The cards are in, 114-112 Morrisey in a surprise, 114-113 McChester ... and 115-114 Morrisey! He retains the title by a very controversial split decision, Morrisey finished well but most thought McChester had done enough in the first several rounds to overcome that. This definitely calls for a rematch ...
Meanwhile, over in Europe Jem Mace(11-1-4) has established himself as the clear class of the informal circuit across the water.
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