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Revision as of 21:35, 26 March 2011
Micky Ward | |
|---|---|
 Ward in March, 2011 | |
| Born | Micky Ward October 4, 1965 |
| Nationality |  American |
| Other names | Irish |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Junior welterweight |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 51 |
| Wins | 38 |
| Wins by KO | 27 |
| Losses | 13 |
| Draws | 0 |
| No contests | 0 |
"Irish" Micky Ward (born October 4, 1965) is a retired junior welterweight professional boxer and a former WBU champion from Lowell, Massachusetts. He is widely known as the protagonist in the 2010 feature film The Fighter based on his career and for his trilogy of fights with Arturo Gatti.
Early career
Ward was a three-time New England Golden Gloves champion boxer who turned pro in 1985,[1] winning his first fourteen fights.[2] However, his career leveled off, and after losing four consecutive fights in 1990, Ward took a hiatus from boxing.[3]
Hiatus
During Ward's time away from the sport, he used some of the funds from his day job on a road-paving crew to have surgery on his right hand, with which he had problems during several bouts. The surgery used some of the bone from Ward's pelvis to strengthen and fuse the bones in his hand.[3] His half-brother, former boxer Dicky Eklund, who was struggling with drug addiction and had just been released from jail on charges including drug possession, convinced Ward to take up the sport again.[1]
Return to the ring
Ward was successful in his return, winning his first nine fights, and won the WBU's Intercontinental Light Welterweight Title in a fight against Louis Veader.[2] He defended the belt once, in a rematch against Veader.[2] Ward earned a 1997 IBF Light Welterweight Championship fight against champion Vince Phillips, but did not win the championship, as the fight was stopped in the third round due to cuts,[2] and Phillips was awarded the bout via TKO. One year later, Ward again would come up short in a title fight, as he lost a 12-round decision against Zab Judah.[2]
In 2000, Ward traveled to London to take on the WBU Light Welterweight Champion, Shea Neary, and earned a TKO in the eighth round to win the WBU title.[2] Ward, however, never defended the title, and split his next four fights. His ten-round decision victory over Emanuel Augustus (then known as Emanuel Burton) was voted The Ring magazine's 2001 Fight of the Year.[4]
Ward vs. Gatti trilogy
On May 18, 2002, Ward faced the opponent with whom he became most identified, Arturo Gatti. The fight was a wild one, but a ninth round Ward knockdown of Gatti proved to be the difference, with Ward winning a majority decision. The fight was later named the 2002 Ring magazine fight of the year. Both fighters needed care in a trauma center after the match.
The two agreed to an immediate rematch, and in November, Gatti was able to win the second wild fight. Ward was knocked down in the third round, but survived to finish the fight. Gatti paid tribute to Ward's tenacity after the fight, saying, "I used to wonder what would happen if I fought my twin. Now I know."[3]
They then agreed to a third straight fight, and again, the fight was back and forth. Gatti pounded Ward with punch after punch early on, but Ward fought back and managed a sixth round knockdown of Gatti. Before Gatti could get up, or the referee's count could hit ten, the bell sounded to end the round. Gatti was able to come back and win the fight via a unanimous decision. Again, both men needed a trip to the hospital, due to the injuries they suffered.[3] The fight was named the 2003 Ring magazine fight of the year, the third straight for Ward.[5]
All told, Ward made approximately $3-million in earnings for his trilogy with Gatti; the most lucrative fights of his career.[6]
After boxing
Ward still lives in Lowell, where he is part owner of and runs a gym as well as part owner of an outdoor hockey rink.[7]
Professional boxing record
In popular culture
The story of Ward's comeback and rise to fame was made into a 2010 feature film, The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg as Ward.
The album The Warrior's Code by the Dropkick Murphys features Ward on the cover, and is the subject of the title song. The live version is played in the film, The Fighter.[8][9]
The song "Animal Rap" by the hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks has a version of the song entitled "Micky Ward Mix".[10]
The game Fight Night Round 3 (2006) features Ward and Gatti on the cover.[11]
References
- ^ a b Sheridan, Emily. "Mark Wahlberg swaps his Calvin Klein six-pack for a paunch to play out-of-shape boxer", Daily Mail, March 16, 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g Boxing record for Micky Ward from BoxRec (registration required)
- ^ a b c d Lidz, Franz. "Uncommon Valor", Sports Illustrated, June 16, 2003
- ^ Quinones, Rafael Garcia. "Revisiting the Fight of the Year for 2001: Micky Ward vs. Emanuel Burton", BleacherReport.com, January 9, 2010
- ^ Boehm, Mike."Arturo Gatti: Remembering Ultimate Blood and Guts Warrior", ProBoxing-Fans.com, n.d.
- ^ Aranda, Ramon. "Micky Ward to Attend Martinez-Dzinziruk Card", 3MoreRounds.com, February 24, 2011
- ^ Lem Satterfield, provided by (2011-01-07). "Surprised Micky Ward's 'Honesty And Integrity' Recognized". Sfgate.com. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- ^ "The Warrior's Code. Dropkick Murphys". Dropkickmurphys.com. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- ^ "Epitaph Records. Dropkick Murphys". Epitaph.com. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- ^ "Jedi Mind Tricks, Animal Rap (Micky Ward Mix). last.fm". . last.fm. 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- ^ Adams, David. "Ward, Gatti for Fight Night Round 3 Cover" Xbox.IGN.com, December 12, 2005
External links
{{{inline}}}
- Official Micky Ward Web Site
- Team Micky Ward Charities
- Boxing record for Micky Ward from BoxRec (registration required)
Further reading
- Halloran, Bob. Irish Thunder: The Hard Life & Times of Micky Ward (Lyons Press, 2010) ISBN 978-0-7627-6986-5