Micky Ward
George Michael Ward Jr. (born October 4, 1965), often known by his nickname of "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 relentless pressure fighting style. Ward was portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in the 2010 film The Fighter, which was based on his early career.
| Micky Ward | |
|---|---|
 Ward in March 2011 | |
| Statistics | |
| Real name | George Michael Ward Jr. |
| Nickname(s) | "Irish" |
| Weight(s) | Light welterweight |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Reach | 70 in (178 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | October 4, 1965 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 51 |
| Wins | 38 |
| Wins by KO | 28 |
| Losses | 13 |
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 oppression and arrived in Boston, Massachusetts. They settled in the Acre neighborhood of Lowell, Massachusetts and worked as laborers and millworkers.
Amateur career
Ward was a three-time New England Golden Gloves champion boxer who turned pro in 1985, winning his first fourteen fights.[1] However, his career leveled off, and after losing four consecutive fights in 1990/91, Ward took a hiatus from boxing.[2] 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.[2]
Professional career
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.[1] He defended the belt once, in a rematch against Veader.[1]
In 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 Mexican Alfonso Sanchez in a fight that Ward, up to then, was clearly losing on points. Shortly before the punch, Larry Merchant said the fight should be stopped (which referee Mitch Halpern had threatened to do if Ward didn't "show [him] something"); afterwards Merchant called it one of the most extraordinary things he'd ever seen in boxing.[3]
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.
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,[1] 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.[1]
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.[1] 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, 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."[2]
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.[2] The fight was named the 2003 Ring magazine fight of the year, the third straight for Ward.[5] 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.[6]
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.[7] 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, trains new boxers entering its academy.[8]
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.[9]
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. 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.[10]
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.[11][12]
The game Fight Night Round 3 (2006) features Ward and Gatti on the cover (PS2 and Xbox versions only).[13]
Professional boxing record
| 51 fights | 38 wins | 13 losses |
| By knockout | 27 | 1 |
| By decision | 11 | 12 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Loss | 38–13 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
UD | 10 | Jun 7, 2003 |  |
|
| 50 | Loss | 38–12 | |
UD | 10 | Nov 23, 2002 | |
|
| 49 | Win | 38–11 | |
MD | 10 | May 18, 2002 | |
|
| 48 | Loss | 37–11 | |
TD | 5 (10), 3:00 | Jan 5, 2002 | |
Split TD after Leija was cut from an accidental head clash |
| 47 | Win | 37–10 | |
UD | 10 | Jul 13, 2001 | |
|
| 46 | Win | 36–10 | |
KO | 1 (10), 3:03 | May 18, 2001 | |
|
| 45 | Loss | 35–10 |  |
UD | 10 | Aug 19, 2000 | |
|
| 44 | Win | 35–9 |  |
TKO | 8 (12), 2:55 | Mar 11, 2000 | |
Won WBU light welterweight title |
| 43 | Win | 34–9 | |
TKO | 10 (10), 2:40 | Oct 1, 1999 | |
|
| 42 | Win | 33–9 | |
RTD | 5 (10), 3:00 | Jul 16, 1999 | |
|
| 41 | Win | 32–9 | |
TKO | 3 (8) | Mar 17, 1999 | |
|
| 40 | Loss | 31–9 | |
UD | 12 | Jun 7, 1998 | |
For vacant USBA interim light welterweight title |
| 39 | Win | 31–8 | |
KO | 3 (8), 1:57 | Apr 14, 1998 | |
|
| 38 | Loss | 30–8 | |
TKO | 3 (12), 2:49 | Aug 9, 1997 | |
For IBF light welterweight title |
| 37 | Win | 30–7 | |
KO | 7 (10), 1:53 | Apr 12, 1997 | |
|
| 36 | Win | 29–7 | |
SD | 10 | Dec 6, 1996 | |
|
| 35 | Win | 28–7 | |
UD | 12 | Jul 28, 1996 | |
Retained WBU Intercontinental light welterweight title |
| 34 | Win | 27–7 | |
TKO | 9 (12), 1:28 | Apr 13, 1996 | |
Won WBU Intercontinental light welterweight title |
| 33 | Win | 26–7 | |
TKO | 1 (6) | Mar 15, 1996 | |
|
| 32 | Win | 25–7 |  |
TKO | 3 (8) | Jan 26, 1996 | |
|
| 31 | Win | 24–7 | |
TKO | 1 (4) | Dec 30, 1995 | |
|
| 30 | Win | 23–7 | |
KO | 3 (10) | Sep 10, 1994 | |
|
| 29 | Win | 22–7 | |
TKO | 5 (10) | Jun 17, 1994 | |
|
| 28 | Loss | 21–7 | |
UD | 10 | Oct 15, 1991 | |
|
| 27 | Loss | 21–6 | |
UD | 10 | May 2, 1991 | |
|
| 26 | Loss | 21–5 | |
UD | 12 | Oct 18, 1990 | |
For vacant USBA light welterweight title |
| 25 | Loss | 21–4 | |
UD | 12 | Apr 26, 1990 | |
For IBF Inter-Continental light welterweight title |
| 24 | Win | 21–3 | |
SD | 10 | Feb 3, 1990 | |
|
| 23 | Win | 20–3 | |
TKO | 5 (10), 2:50 | May 23, 1989 | |
|
| 22 | Loss | 19–3 | |
UD | 12 | Jan 15, 1989 | |
For USBA light welterweight title |
| 21 | Win | 19–2 |  |
TKO | 3 (10), 0:45 | Dec 13, 1988 | |
|
| 20 | Loss | 18–2 | |
UD | 10 | Sep 9, 1988 | |
|
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | |
TKO | 2 (10) | Jul 9, 1988 | |
|
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | |
UD | 10 | May 19, 1988 | |
|
| 17 | Win | 16–1 | |
UD | 10 | Feb 19, 1988 | |
|
| 16 | Win | 15–1 | |
TKO | 1 (10), 2:36 | Jan 15, 1988 | |
|
| 15 | Loss | 14–1 | |
SD | 10 | Sep 25, 1987 | |
|
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | |
TKO | 4 (8), 2:33 | Aug 25, 1987 | |
|
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | |
TKO | 4 (8), 3:00 | Apr 6, 1987 | |
|
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | |
SD | 8 | Feb 24, 1987 | |
|
| 11 | Win | 11–0 |  |
KO | 2 (10), 2:55 | Oct 24, 1986 | |
|
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | |
UD | 8 | Aug 29, 1986 | |
|
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | |
TKO | 2 (6), 1:12 | Jul 4, 1986 | |
|
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | |
PTS | 6 | Jun 15, 1986 | |
|
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | |
TKO | 3 (6), 2:39 | May 30, 1986 | |
|
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | |
TKO | 5 (6), 2:05 | Apr 18, 1986 | |
|
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | |
KO | 6 (6), 2:02 | Feb 21, 1986 | |
|
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | |
UD | 4 | Jan 24, 1986 | |
|
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | |
TKO | 3 (4), 1:17 | Jan 10, 1986 | |
|
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | |
TKO | 4 (4), 1:45 | Aug 27, 1985 | |
|
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | |
TKO | 1 (4), 1:20 | Jun 13, 1985 | |
References
- Boxing record for Micky Ward from BoxRec
- Lidz, Franz. "Uncommon Valor", Sports Illustrated, June 16, 2003
- sweetfights. "Micky Ward vs Alfonso Sanchez Amazing Knock Out Body Punching" – via YouTube.
- 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" Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, 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 Fighter" – via www.imdb.com.
- Ward, Micky (2012). A Warrior's Heart. Berkley Books. pp. 47–55. ISBN 9780425247556.
- Aranda, Ramon. "Mark Wahlberg Confirms The Fighter 2 in the Works" Archived 2012-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, 3MoreRounds.com, June 10, 2011
- "The Warrior's Code. Dropkick Murphys". Dropkickmurphys.com. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- "Epitaph Records. Dropkick Murphys". Epitaph.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
- Adams, David. "Ward, Gatti for Fight Night Round 3 Cover" Xbox.IGN.com, December 12, 2005
Further reading
- Halloran, Bob. Irish Thunder: The Hard Life & Times of Micky Ward (Lyons Press, 2010) ISBN 978-0-7627-6986-5
- 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" [Rowman and Littlefield], (2016.) ISBN 978-1442273054
External links
 |
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Micky Ward |
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor world boxing titles | ||||
| Preceded by Shea Neary |
WBU light welterweight champion March 11, 2000 – October 21, 2000 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Jason Rowland | ||
| Awards | ||||
| Previous: Érik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera |
The Ring Fight of the Year vs. Emanuel Augustus 2001 |
Next: Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti | ||
| Previous: Micky Ward vs. Emanuel Augustus |
The Ring Fight of the Year vs. Arturo Gatti 2002 |
Next: Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti III | ||
| Previous: Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti |
The Ring Fight of the Year vs. Arturo Gatti III 2003 |
Next: Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Érik Morales III | ||
| Inaugural award | BWAA Fight of the Year vs. Arturo Gatti III 2003 |
Next: James Toney vs. Vassily Jirov | ||
| Previous: Mills Lane |
BWAA James A. Farley Award for Honesty and Integrity 2010 |
Next: Klitschko brothers | ||
Authority control  |
|
|---|