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"'ONCE IN A LIFETIME...AGAIN' DIDN'T DISAPPOINT!" By Elisa Harrison |
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Fast forward to November 23, 2002, Boardwalk Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Micky Ward vs Arturo Gatti II.
"Build the stadium and they will come..." the famous line from the movie "Field of Dreams," could be applied to the ringside scenario for this rematch. Huge press row, too many photographers to fit ringside, mayhem, pandemonium, sheer madness. All those who should have been there for the first edition, made it their business not to miss the second one.
Micky Ward vs Arturo Gatti I was a war of unprecedented proportions. It sneaked by many so-called pugilistic Einsteins, some of which didn't even care to cover it ringside. Real boxing fans, however, knew it would be a gem; and they showed up, they tuned in.
The combatants had been quite courteous and respectful of one another throughout media week; after all, these guys are consummate professionals, they make their statements in the ring, and how many statements haven't they made throughout their careers.
Arturo Gatti, the new Arturo Gatti, the Buddy McGirt version, promised to stick to his trainer's game plan and box the night away. It was a plan he strayed away from in the first encounter, and it cost him dearly.
Micky Ward, well... Micky Ward just promised to be himself. The man has a heart the size of the state of Texas; he wears it on his sleeve in the ring, and he seldom disappoints, even in a losing effort.
After being forced to watch HBO's idea of an old school broadcast -how inventive- in black and white mind you, the production staff turned on the colors and with electricity in the air the battle began.
Round 1 and both fighters look to set the tone of the fight. Micky Ward delivers his infamous left hooks to the liver, great shots. Arturo Gatti counters with extreme confidence, boxes away, and establishes his own imprint.
Round 2 has Ward delivering a huge left to Gatti's chin which briefly stuns Arturo. Gatti retaliates with serious body shots, some of which went south of the border, all ignored by referee Earl Morton, who reminded this writer of those umpires who establish their own strike zone. A nick develops on the bridge of Ward's nose.
Round 3: WOW! A right hook to Micky Ward's ear sends him reeling forward, he collapses in a neutral corner, face first, out on his feet, disoriented and hurt. Just as Gatti survived the left hook to the liver in the historical ninth round of their first fight, Ward digs deep and survives the knockdown, only to be swarmed by a barrage of punches from Arturo Gatti.
Micky hangs on, even countering some of Gatti's blows, but his eyes tell the story. He is definitely hurt, his equilibrium is in question, his legs reminiscent of wet noodles, but his heart, his will, see him through the round.
Round 4: Still hurt and dazed, Micky manages to inflict a cut on Gatti's left eyelid; not a major problem at this point... after all, what would a Gatti fight be without a cut? Gatti pulls out the round.
Round 5: Turning point of the fight, in my humble opinion. Gatti is so full of himself here, dancing, jabbing, displaying newly acquired defensive skills, confident, the whole package. He was beautiful to watch, like a dancer, flawless and loving it.
Round 6: Gatti continues to move, side to side, in and out, relaxed, poised. Ward struggles to stay in the fight, but it is becoming apparent that he hasn't recovered from that devastating blow to the back of his ear.
Round 7: More punishment being dealt by Gatti, who hurts Ward with very sharp uppercuts. Gatti stays low, as was the plan laid out by Buddy McGirt, forcing Ward to swing and miss a lot, making him negate his power. The strategy works well, Gatti has managed to stick to his game plan so far this time, and it's earning him a shut out in our very unofficial scorecard.
Rounds 8 and 9 were more of the same. Ward struggling, coming forward, trying to find an angle. Gatti picking his spots, boxing, darting in and out, extremely relaxed and self-assured, comfortable in this new found style which seems to suit him so well.
Round 10 begins in a very unusual manner. Guys who don't throw one tenth of the punishing blows served in this fight so far, are at times reluctant to even touch gloves for their last assault. Not the case here; in an unprecedented show of respect and sportsmanship, these two warriors hug each other to begin the last round of what has been a very grueling bout.
Hugs aside, they go back to the business at hand. Ward knows he needs a knockout to pull it off, and he tries to press Gatti. Arturo will have none of it; he fights back, he boxes, he moves, he simply will not be denied. Micky Ward's lip is cut, his ego deflated, he looks like a beaten warrior, and the judges scores tell the story in numbers, although not in terms of heart and courage. The numbers read 98-91, 98-90 and 98-91, all for Gatti. Our visual reads 100% WAR.
The post fight interviews were testament to these men's class and sportsmanship. Read on:
Gatti: "There are not too many guys like Micky Ward. I knew that he would get up and finish the fight."
Ward: "It was his night tonight."
Gatti added that he listened to his trainer and boxed. "Staying low gave me an opportunity to move around," he said. "Ward was not the same after the knockdown."
When asked about a possible third installment, Gatti said: "One and one, a third one I wouldn't mind." Ward chimed in: "We can get together again and give in another shot."
It was an excellent night of boxing, one that real boxing fans will appreciate and cherish for years to come. Micky Ward has nothing to be ashamed of, he got caught with a shot that affected him, and he simply never recovered from it.
When the decision was announced, Arturo Gatti hugged his trainer, former champion Buddy McGirt, in a show of respect and appreciation. Buddy continues to impress as a trainer, a motivator; reinventing a guy who has been in the game for as many years as Gatti has could not have possible been an easy task, but he has done it, and done it well.
McGirt's quiet demeanor in the corner is a reflection of the confidence Gatti displayed tonight. Make no mistake about it, though, it was obvious Buddy was boss, as witnessed by Gatti calling him "sir," military style, in more than one occasion.
Bragging Rights Corner wishes to congratulate Team Gatti, while extending our support to Micky Ward and his crew as well. It was a war, both men gave it their all, and on this night, Arturo Gatti came out on top. Boxing fans were the winners here, and one can only hope that the prima donnas of the sport were watching how it's really done!
P.S. Big George, who seems to get bigger by the telecast, assured Jim Lampley that this was a close fight. May we respectfully suggest more meals cooked in his invention and a trip to the Optometrist as soon as possible...
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