Shea Arender and the Las Vegas Symphony Orchestra are woven into a fascinating documentary on the controversial late boxer…
Tommy Morrison was a polarizing figure. The heavyweight boxer, who passed away in 2013 at age 44, incited controversy over nearly every aspect of his personal and professional lives. Even his cause of death became the subject of dispute.
Morrison’s life resembled a movie…so much so that he portrayed a semi-fictional version of himself opposite Sylvester Stallone in ROCKY V. As fate would have it, that entry in the “Rocky Balboa” saga became the most divisive…and remains so thirty-five years later.
Now, twelve years after his death, Tommy Morrison is the subject of a documentary feature. “I AM TOMMY MORRISON” is described as a “Tribute to a Heavyweight Legacy with a Las Vegas Touch.” There certainly is a lot of Sin City DNA in the film, both behind the scenes and onscreen.
Tommy Morrison and George Foreman
Morrison’s boxing career ground to a halt, albeit temporarily, right before a Las Vegas bout in 1996. Both ROCKY IV and ROCKY BALBOA (aka ROCKY 6) partially took place in Las Vegas, and major sequences for I AM TOMMY MORRISON were filmed here. Now, Vegas public figure Shea Arender is deeply involved in the creation and marketing of the upcoming release.
Who is Shea Arender, you ask? He’s the singer/songwriter/author/motivational speaker/producer whom we profiled here back in 2022. Not unlike Tommy Morrison, Mr. Arender has raised eyebrows for his outspoken nature, unpredictable career path, and broad palette across the Arts.
Despite his matinee-idol looks, Arender is tough as nails. He’ll let nothing stand in the way of artistic freedom…even facing off with a thorn-in-the-side Vegas journalist (not this writer, to be sure). Since the publication of my piece, the handsome CEO of Total Life Champion (a wellness company) has entered the boxing ring as a competitor. Like I said….unpredictable.
Arender’s passions for boxing and music make him a natural collaborator for I AM TOMMY MORRISON. The songs and scores for ROCKY have become embedded in pop culture and cinematic history. That musical legacy began in 1977 with the Oscar-nominated “Gonna Fly Now”, continued with Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” in 1982, followed by ROCKY 4‘s “Burning Heart”.
Tommy Morrison (center) in ROCKY V
Vince DiCola’s ROCKY 4 replaced Bill Conti’s orchestral themes with an electronic approach that became a sporting event mainstay. Even the spinoff series CREED utilizes themes from ROCKY. Now Arender is composing music for the Morrison documentary:
No date has been set for its premiere, as I AM TOMMY MORRISON is still in production. But you can expect a splashy Las Vegas red-carpet affair at a future date. VEGAS 411 will undoubtedly be there to cover the film’s debut.
I AM TOMMY MORRISON is a compelling, emotional, and musically charged documentary. Take a deep dive into the life of a man surrounded by high-profile missteps and public debate, yet never without heart. Morrison faced struggles with drugs and alcohol, but ultimately sought redemption, cleaned up his life, and maintained a positive spirit, always ready to help others.
I AM TOMMY MORRISON allows the boxing icon to shine his light once more.
