Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward 1 Review
A Battle Between Two Brave Warriors Who Laid it All on the Line
For Arturo Gatti, this was a make or break fight. In 1998, he lost all three of his fights, and after that it was a case of getting his confidence back up and making sure he would be able to fight at a high level again. In 1999 and 2000, Gatti piled up four impressive wins, but a fight against Ward was going to be the true acid test for him.
He had enlisted the help of trainer Buddy McGirt for this fight, and this turned out to be a wise move as Gatti looked better in this fight than he had done for years.
However, in front of him was a formidable opponent. Known for his ability to soak up punishment, Ward was a huge threat to Gatti, and one that he couldn't afford to look past.
How Gatti vs. Ward 1 Went
In the first round, Gatti put on a show. He used a snappy jab and incredible footwork to keep Ward at bay. The combinations Gatti was throwing was something Ward had no answer to, and he was forced to eat many punches courtesy of the Canadian. As a consequence, Ward got cut very badly next to the right eye.
The second round went even better for Gatti, and even at this point he must have been wondering how Ward was walking through the punches he was connecting with. However, Ward kept plodding forward and showed no signs of being phased by the power and speed of Gatti.
The third was better for Ward though. While the first couple of minutes went just like the last two rounds, in the final minute, Ward managed to get on the inside and start brawling. Gatti wanted to keep it at distance but this was to no avail, and even though he probably took the round, the writing was on the wall for the later stages of the fight.
The pace slowed slightly in the fourth, but one significant thing about this round was that Gatti had a point taken off for hitting Ward with a hellacious looking low blow. Despite this, Gatti had used the left hook well in this round and probably still deserved a 9-9 score for this session.
The fifth was Ward's first definite round of the night. He hunted Gatti down for the duration of the round, and in the final thirty seconds, he unleashed a huge combination on the head of Gatti, and Arturo was seriously hurt by this.
Gatti recovered well though and took the sixth. He implemented his boxing skills more and hit Ward with more than 200 punches, most of which were to the head. However, Ward showed his iron chin and never stopped coming. This wasn't enough for him though as Gatti kept on using his skill and danced around Ward in the seventh as well.
The eighth went to Ward in a big way though. He landed 41 of his 72 power shots in the round, and nearly had Gatti down at the end of it. Gatti was beginning to tire and Ward knew this.
The ninth round had the first and only knockdown of the fight. Gatti got hit by a massive body shot from Ward, but he showed his heart and got up. Not only did he get up though, but he hit Ward with numerous punches, backing him onto the ropes exhibiting a big turnaround which was completely unexpected.
This round just got even more exciting though, as Ward managed to once again turn the tables, and Gatti to quote the commentators was 'out on his feet'. Ward just couldn't finish him though.
The tenth and final round saw Gatti try to impose himself on Ward. He put everything into this round, and in the last twenty seconds both of them just slugged until the end, making for excellent viewing.
Gatti vs. Ward 1 - The Decision
Micky Ward won this fight by majority decision in the end. One judge ruled the bout a draw at 94-94, while the other two gave the fight to Ward with margins of 94-93 and 95-93. It could be argued the fight should have gone the other way, but both fighters were winners in this one, and their reputations improved drastically.
Gatti must have regretted having a point taken away. Had he not, this fight would have been a draw, and this would have been one less loss on his record.
Implications of Gatti vs. Ward 1
These two brave warriors ended up having two more fights which went the distance, with Gatti winning both. Fights 1 and 3 won the much respected 'Ring Magazine 'Fight of the Year' accolades for their respective years because they were so good.
This was a defining trilogy for both men, and one which boxing fans around the world will never forget.
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