Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward

Micky Ward defeated Arturo Gatti by majority decision at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, on 18 May 2002, in a 10-round junior welterweight contest that became the first and most famous fight of the Gatti vs Ward trilogy. The bout was shown on HBO Boxing After Dark and was later named Fight of the Year by both The Ring and the Boxing Writers Association of America. The ninth round was also widely recognised as one of the outstanding rounds of modern boxing.

Ward, from Lowell, Massachusetts, entered with a record of 37 wins and 11 defeats. Gatti, born in Italy, raised in Canada, and long associated with Jersey City, New Jersey, came in at 34 wins and five defeats. Both men weighed 142 lb. Frank Cappuccino was the referee. The fight was not for a world title, but it carried unusual interest because both boxers had already built reputations for hard contests and severe exchanges. Gatti had previously been world champion at junior lightweight and had been involved in memorable fights with Wilson Rodriguez, Gabriel Ruelas and Ivan Robinson. Ward was known for his left hook to the body, his endurance and his willingness to take punishment to deliver his own.

Gatti began the fight as the sharper boxer. In the opening round, he moved well, used quick combinations and cut Ward near the right eye with a left hook. Ward tried to close the distance and work inside, but Gatti’s hand speed and footwork gave him the better of the early exchanges. The second round followed a similar pattern. Gatti boxed with confidence, moving in and out, throwing combinations to head and body, and keeping Ward from setting his feet.

Ward began to bring the fight closer in the third round. Gatti was no longer moving as freely, and Ward found more chances to trade at short range. His left hook to the body, the punch most closely associated with his career, started to become a factor. Gatti still answered with sharp punches, but the contest was moving away from clean boxing and toward the kind of inside fight Ward preferred.

The fourth round produced the first major controversy. Ward hurt Gatti with a right hand, and Gatti later answered with a left hook that briefly forced Ward back. Near the end of the round, Gatti landed a left hand below the belt, sending Ward down in obvious pain. Cappuccino ruled it a low blow and deducted a point from Gatti. Ward was entitled to recovery time, but because of confusion with the timekeeper, the bell sounded soon after, and the round ended. By then, Ward was bleeding from the nose and lip, and swelling had begun to show around Gatti’s left eye.

The fifth round was fought at a high pace. Gatti landed combinations early and appeared to be regaining command, but Ward finished strongly. Late in the round, Gatti drove Ward back to the ropes with a flurry. Ward responded with a hard series of punches of his own, including body shots and hooks to the head, and Gatti was forced to absorb heavy punishment. It was the first round in which the bout took on the character that would later define the whole trilogy.

Gatti used more movement in the sixth and had better success when he boxed from outside. He slipped punches, stepped around Ward and scored with fast flurries. The seventh also contained good work from Gatti, who was at his best when he kept the fight at mid-range and did not allow Ward to plant himself inside. Ward, however, kept pressing and was always dangerous when he reached the body.

The eighth round shifted the fight again. Ward continued to stalk and found Gatti late in the round with a short right hand that sent him retreating toward the ropes. Ward attacked in the closing seconds, and Gatti was forced to cover up and survive to the bell. The momentum had shifted at an important stage, and Ward entered the ninth with the fight still close, but Gatti was showing the effects of the body attack.

The ninth round became the defining round of Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward I. Ward came out strongly and landed his left hook to the body, dropping Gatti to his knees. Gatti rose in pain and only just beat the count. Ward moved in to finish him and threw heavily to the head and body. Gatti was trapped, hurt and under severe pressure, but he refused to go down again. Ward put great effort into ending the fight, and as he tired, Gatti suddenly answered. He drove Ward back with hooks and combinations, turning what appeared to be a one-sided finish into another exchange of heavy punches. Ward then came back again, landing more body shots and head punches as Gatti held and fought to stay upright. At the bell, both men were exhausted.

The tenth round was closer than might have seemed possible after the ninth. Gatti had somehow recovered enough to stand and trade. Ward kept coming forward, but Gatti met him with hooks and combinations, and the two fought hard to the final bell. When it ended, they embraced in the ring, each having taken and given punishment that would have stopped many lesser fighters.

The official decision went to Ward by majority decision. Dick Flaherty scored the bout 94-93 for Ward, Steve Weisfeld had it 95-93 for Ward, and Frank Lombardi scored it 94-94. The fourth-round point deduction against Gatti and the ninth-round knockdown proved crucial on the cards. HBO judge Harold Lederman also had the fight even, while other ringside opinions were divided.

The result gave Ward the victory, but the fight gave both men a permanent place in boxing memory. It was not a flawless contest and was not fought for championship stakes, but it became one of the most searched-for and discussed action fights in modern boxing because of its sustained exchanges, the dramatic ninth round, and the visible respect between the two fighters. Gatti would win the second and third meetings, but the first fight at Mohegan Sun remains the bout that made the Gatti-Ward trilogy part of boxing history.

I always find it hard in these discussions to actually come up with a definitive answer to what my favourite-ever boxing match is. I know that Hagler-Hearns will always hold its special place. Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns in 1981 is another. Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo. I have a special memory of George Foreman vs Ron Lyle.

Somewhere along the line, when I get into a discussion about this, I always come back to this fight: Micky Ward vs Arturo Gatti 1. I remember watching an HBO documentary about this fight years later, and it kind of confirmed for me that it was the one that entertained me the most.

Sometimes the characters alone can mean more than the action. Sometimes it's the lack of expectation that makes it so special. Whatever it is, this fight had it. There weren't any titles at stake. Chances are, neither of them would gain anything in world-level boxing stakes by winning, and yet it appeared that they turned up and gave everything that they could possibly be asked to give for our entertainment.

The funny thing about this fight is that the other question, "What's the best round you've ever watched?" could possibly be the ninth round of this fight. It just had everything. No matter which boxer had superiority at any time in the round, the other one was going to come back and match it. It was quite simply one of the most breathtaking rounds I've ever watched.

So there you have my thoughts on this fight. I loved it the first time I watched it, and whenever I watch it again, I still get the same buzz. It sits alongside Hagler vs Hearns for me, but when push comes to shove, this one just nicks it.