Micky Ward

George Michael Ward Jr. (born October 4, 1965), often known by his nickname, "Irish" Micky Ward, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2003. He challenged once for the IBF light welterweight title in 1997, and held the WBU light welterweight title in 2000. Ward is widely known for his trilogy of fights with Arturo Gatti, two of which received Fight of the Year awards by ''The Ring'' magazine, as well as his devastating left hook to the body and his pressure fighting style. Ward was portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in the 2010 film '' The Fighter'', which was based on his early career.

Ancestry

His maternal great-grandmother Annie Greenhalge (Carroll) was born in Ireland, the daughter of Michael and Mary (Flood) Carroll. His maternal great-great-great grandparents Peter McMahon and Ann Quinn were from County Tyrone, Ireland. They fled Ireland during the 1850s to escape from poverty and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts. They settled in the Acre neighborhood of Lowell, Massachusetts and worked as laborers and millworkers.

Career

Amateur career

In 1972 at just the age of 7 Ward would complete in his first amateur bout this would be the start of a very successful amateur career. In 1977, at the age of eleven he entered and advanced to the finals of the New England Junior Olympics, before dropping a close decision to a fighter from Lynn in the championship. With brother Dickie by his side Ward would continue to climb up the Amateur rankings. As in 1980 he would capture gold in the 90-pound division at Silver Mittens after finishing runner up in 1978 and 1979. Then in 1983, he fought and won the New England AAU tournament earning a trip to Lake Placid, New York for the regional finals. There, he met and befriended a 16-year old phenom, Mike Tyson, who was competing in the tournament’s heavyweight division. A Warrior’s Heart, The Irish Micky Ward Story https://bostonmanmagazine.com/a-warriors-heart-the-irish-micky-ward-story/#:~:text=With%2520brother%2520Dickie%2520by%2520his,%E2%80%9CDickie%2520Eklund's%2520little%2520brother.%E2%80%9D Ward was also a three-time New England Golden Gloves champion boxer.

Professional career

Ward would have his first pro bout on June 13th 1985 in Lawrence, Massachusetts defeating David Morin by TKO in the first round. Ward would then win his next 8 fights. A majority of these fights would take place in Atlantic City this would help aid the progression of his career due to the visibility he received on national television through ESPN’s Top Rank Boxing program as they dubbed Atlantic City there homebase for their weekly Saturday night fights. However for his 10th pro fight Top Rank boxing would follow Ward back to his home town of Lowell. Where he would face a fellow top prospect out of Massachusetts John Rafuse which would result in a 8 round unanimous decision for Ward. Following two more convincing wins bringing his record to 12-0. Ward then got the call to be on the undercard for the April 6th, 1987 ‘Fight of The Century also marking the first time he would head out west to fight in Las Vegas. Ward would make the most of this opportunity beating Kelly Koble via TKO in the 4th round. He would return to Atlantic City for his next bout once again winning by TKO in the 4th round improving to 14-0. During his next fight he would come up short to Edwin Curet by split decision losing his first pro fight. He would then go 5-1 in his next 6 fights. After accumulating a 19-2 record Ward would earn his first title shot when he would fight Frankie Warren for USBA light welterweight title but he would fail to capture the title losing a unanimous decision. After this Ward would win his next two fights However, his career leveled off, and after losing four consecutive fights in 1990/91, Ward took a hiatus from boxing to focus on being a father and to work and live a regular blue-collar life.Lidz, Franz
"Uncommon Valor"
''Sports Illustrated'', June 16, 2003 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, which had given him problems during several bouts. The surgery used some of the bone from Ward's pelvis to strengthen and fuse the bones in his hand. Ward would find himself back in a boxing gym when Lowell police chief Mickey O’Keefe asked Ward just to swing by the gym and work out with him a little. “ It was a no pressure offer so I did. As soon as I got back in there it felt good. I did miss it. Slowly I started getting in there a little more and more and before you knew it we were training somewhat regularly.” During the training O’Keefe implemented a host of strength based drills and exercises. The results gave Ward a new level of raw strength and confidence helping lead Wards eventual return to the ring.

Ward would end up making a successful come back in 1994 going on a 5 fight winning streak all coming by way of knockout out/technical knockout. This would lead to him earning a shot at the WBU Intercontinental light welterweight title Vs undefeated 31-0 Louis Veader. The bout would take place at the FleetCenter in Boston Massachusetts. Ward would end up winning the title by TKO in the 9th round. Ward would then successfully defend the title in a rematch 3 months later winning by unanimous decision.

Coming off back to back big wins Ward was then scheduled to fight Julio Cesar Chavez on December 6th, 1996. The bout would definitely be the biggest of his career. But then on December 1st, five days before the fight, Chavez pulled out of the match, claiming he hurt his hand while training. So instead he took a last minute replacement fight vs Manny Castillo the fight would be a 10 round slugfest but Ward would ultimately win via split decision.

During his next fight a 1997 match that would come to typify the exceptional power of Ward's left hook to the body, he scored a 7th-round knockout against the then-undefeated 16-0 Mexican Alfonso Sanchez in a fight that Ward, up to then, was clearly losing on points. Shortly before the punch, Emanuel Augustus said the fight should be stopped (which referee Mitch Halpern had threatened to do if Ward didn't "show imsomething"); afterwards HBO boxing commentator Larry Merchant called it one of the most extraordinary things he'd ever seen in boxing.

Ward's left hook to the body later resulted in a first-round knockout of Steve Quinonez, and a nine-count knockdown of Arturo Gatti in their first fight.

After going on a 9 fight winning streak 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, and Phillips was awarded the bout via TKO. One year later, after coming off a KO victory over Mark Fernandez Ward again would come up short in a title fight, as he lost a 12-round decision against Zab Judah. Judah would later credit Ward as the toughest fight of his career. Ward would then bounce back going on to win his next 2 fights by stoppage. After back to back wins Ward found himself back in another high caliber match up vs Reggie Green who took at the time WBA light welterweight champion Sharmba Mitchell to a majority draw in his previous fight. Green dominated most of the early rounds but once again Ward showed his grit and slowly climbed back into the fight and ended up getting the TKO in the 10th round.

After coming off his big win vs Green, Ward traveled to London in March of 2000 to take on the undefeated 22-0 WBU Light Welterweight Champion, Shea Neary, the fight was a high-paced, action-packed slugfest with Ward ultimately earning a TKO in the eighth round to win the WBU title. Ending Neary’s four year reign. Ward, however, never defended the title. In his next fight Ward would end up in a contenders bout Vs Antonio Díaz this would result in a unanimous 95-94 decision loss ford Ward. He would then bounce back with a round 1 KO of Steve Quinonez. Wards following fight which seen him get a ten-round decision victory over Emanuel Augustus (then known as Emanuel Burton) was voted '' The Ring'' magazine's 2001 Fight of the Year as well as ESPNs 2001 Fight of the Year. The fight has been described as thirty minutes of intense, non-stop carnage. Ward would face Jesse James Leija he would lose the bout by a split TD after Leija was cut from an accidental head clash.

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, highlighted by the intensity and the back-and-forth nature of the fight but a ninth round Ward knockdown of Gatti via a vicious left hook to the body proved to be the difference, with Ward winning a majority decision. The fight was later named the 2002 ''Ring'' magazine fight of the year as well as the Boxing Writers Association of America fight of the year. The bout has also been acclaimed as the “Fight of the Century” by boxing fans and writers. The 9th round of the fight has also been referred to as the Round of the Century by Emanuel Steward and other boxing writers. 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, knocking Ward down in the third round, although he 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."

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. The fight was named the 2003 ''Ring'' magazine fight of the year, the third straight for Ward. Ward was the first fighter to achieve this since Rocky Marciano and Carmen Basilio each did so in the 1950s.

Ward made approximately $3 million in earnings for his trilogy with Gatti; the most lucrative fights of his career.

Gatti vs Ward I & III are also part of HBO's 10 best fights of the decade.

Ward would ultimately retire at after his 3rd fight with Gatti in 2003. By the end of the trilogy Ward and Gatti ended up creating a strong friendship. When asked about his bond with Gatti this is what Ward had to say. “We were more than fighters we were brothers. Every punch we threw at each other brought us closer. Losing him was like losing a part of myself.”

Life after boxing

Ward still lives in Lowell, where he is part owner of both a boxing gym as well as an outdoor hockey rink. Ward is married to Charlene Fleming, his longtime girlfriend, who is also a former athlete. He manages the boxing gym he owns with his half-brother and former trainer, Dicky Eklund, who trains new boxers entering its academy.

In his 2012 autobiography, Ward revealed that he had been sexually abused as a child by a friend of Dicky's, another boxer referred to only by his nickname, "Hammer". The abuse began when Ward was nine years old and continued for approximately three years, until he gained the confidence to confront his attacker. Ward would eventually face off against Hammer in one of his first amateur bouts, winning by unanimous decision.

In 2019 Ward would be inducted into the Atlantic City boxing Hall of fame.

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 (who was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor) as Ward. In 2011, Wahlberg confirmed to Spike TV that ''The Fighter 2'' is in the works, which will focus on the legendary fight trilogy between Ward and Arturo Gatti.

Lowell hip hop artist D-Tension released the song, '’One Hit to the Body'’ which Micky used as his ring entrance music for the On May 18, 2002 Ward-Gatti bout.

Philadelphia hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks released two remixes to their single, '' Animal Rap'' from their third album '' Visions of Gandhi'' (2003), dubbed the "Micky Ward Mix" and "Arturo Gatti Mix".

The album '' The Warrior's Code'' by Dropkick Murphys features Ward on the cover, and he is also the subject of the title song. A live recording of the song is heard in ''The Fighter''.

Ward´s life is chronicled in a biography by Bob Halloran entitled Irish Thunder: The Hard Life and Times of Micky Ward. Micky Ward Prince marketing https://www.princemarketinggroup.com/gallery/micky-ward/

The game '' Fight Night Round 3'' (2006) features Ward and Gatti on the cover (PS2 and Xbox versions only).Adams, David
"Ward, Gatti for ''Fight Night Round 3'' Cover"
Xbox.IGN.com, December 12, 2005

Professional boxing record

References

Further reading

*Halloran, Bob. ''Irish Thunder: The Hard Life & Times of Micky Ward '' ( Lyons Press, 2010)
*Cooley, Will. "'Vanilla Thrillas': Modern Boxing and White-Ethnic Masculinity," Journal of Sport and Social Issues 34:4 (November, 2010), 418–437.
*Raspanti, John J. and Taylor, Dennis. "Intimate Warfare: The True Story of the Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward Boxing Trilogy" owman and Littlefield (2016.)
*Ward, Micky with Layden, Joe. ''A Warrior's Heart: The True Story of Life Before and Beyond'' The Fighter erkley Books (2013.)

External links

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Team Micky Ward Charities

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Micky
1965 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Lowell, Massachusetts
American people of Irish descent
American male boxers
Light-welterweight boxers
20th-century American sportsmen