As a teenager, East moved to Cebu City and was spotted by Lito Cortes who brought him to the Cebu Coliseum gym. Promoter Sammy Gello-ani then offered him amateur fights to keep him earning for his meals.[4]
Professional career
WBA Light Welterweight Championship
East turned professional in 1989 and won the WBA WorldLight Welterweight Championship by defeating Akinobu Hiranaka with an 11th-round TKO victory in Tokyo on 9 September 1992. With the victory, East became the youngest ever Filipino to hold a world championship in boxing at the age of 19 years and 31 days old. He is also the second youngest boxer to win a world title at 140 lbs., second to Puerto Rico's Wilfred Benítez, who won the WBA World Jr. Welterweight title when he was 17 years old, the youngest ever to win a world title in boxing history. The victory over Hiranaka was named Ring MagazineKnockout of the Year for 1992. Morris lost the title in his first defense against Martín Coggi.
After winning and defending the Philippines Games & Amusement Board Light Middleweight Championship in 1995, East retired from boxing at only 21 years of age. To this day, East holds the record for the youngest retirement of a former world champion.
Professional boxing record
25 fights
20 wins
4 losses
By knockout
12
1
By decision
8
3
No contests
1
No.
Result
Record
Opponent
Type
Round, time
Date
Location
Notes
25
Win
20–4 (1)
Robert Azumah
UD
12
27 May 1995
Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
Born of a Filipina and black American U.S. Navy sailor,[5] East didn't meet his father until he became champion. He traveled from the Philippines to the United States a month after winning his WBA belt to locate his father, John East, Sr. With the help of a long-lost sister and the CNN news team, the father was located in Oakland, California and their first meeting was broadcast by CNN. Morris improved his father's living condition but his father, suffering from bad health, died of cancer a few months later.