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Tony Morelli | |
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Born | Antonio Giovanni Morelli May 16, 1956 Lytton, British Columbia, Canada |
Died | April 19, 2015 58) Langley, British Columbia, Canada | (aged
Nationality | Canadian |
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Division | Light Heavyweight Cruiserweight |
Style | Kickboxing |
Years active | 1979–1983 |
Antonio Giovanni Morelli (May 16, 1956 - April 19, 2015) was a Canadian professional kickboxer, stuntman, and actor. [1]
Morelli was born in Lytton, British Columbia on May 16, 1956, and raised in Chilliwack and Abbotsford. [2]
Originally trained as a boxer, he won a Gold Medal in the Light Heavyweight category at the 1979 Western Canada Summer Games in Saskatoon. [2]
Morelli became the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) Super Light Heavyweight Champion, after defeating Travis Everett on April 19, 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia. [3]
On March 4, 1982, he defeated debuting Maurice Smith by decision. Fourteen months later, he lost the title to Smith in the seventh round by KO.
Morelli was a member of the WKA World Team, along with Benny Urquidez, Don Wilson, and Graciela Casillas. [4]
Morelli was the subject of a 1980 documentary, The Kickboxers, directed by Gary Bush. [5]
Morelli's stunt career began in 1983, and took part in various film and television projects, including Walls , Airwolf , Legends of the Fall , The 6th Day , Smallville , X-Men: The Last Stand , 2012 , The Twilight Saga: New Moon , Rise of the Planet of the Apes , The Cabin in the Woods , Arrow and Godzilla . [6] He was a primary stunt coordinator on the television series Wiseguy and The X-Files .
He played a henchman in the Sammo Hung-starring Hong Kong action comedy Paper Marriage (1988), which was filmed in Calgary.
A longtime resident of Langley, British Columbia, Morelli died suddenly on April 19, 2015, aged 58. He was survived by his wife and children. [7]
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