Comments Thread For: Look Back At Gatti-Ward I On 20th Anniversary Of 'One Of The Great Nights In Boxing History'

[ELPacman]

I think I'm due for another rewatch of this fight. I must of watched it 2 dozen times at least when I first saw it. I've since seen it so much that I got tired of it. Though it might be time for a full rewatch now that so much time has gone by. I would say, it really reaches the boiling point from rd8 onwards to an epic conclusion like no other. Honestly the fight started out pretty much like any other. It really did get going till the midway point.

Gatti showed crazy heart getting up from the body shot where he was grimacing in pain. Then the amount of clean headshots that landed were nuts. I remember when Ward forced Gattin into the corner by pushing on his face with his glove and then dropped a right hand on on him. No headshots were putting Gatti down. At the same time, Ward was eating monster body shots himself and head shots. The will to win both guys had was frightening.

[Bonham77]

This is EXACTLY what makes me laugh at American boxing fans, media, everyone. People like to forget that this was a completely SHOT Gatti going up against , at the time , Ward , who was considered basically a lower " B " type fighter. One of those pure glorified clubfighters. Maybe at best a 30th rated fighter. At absolute best. He came into the fight a big underdog against the shot Gatti. Ward had lost 11 fights when they fought. Gatti been knocked out a few times and was severely fadedfrom his prime years . Was the fight competitive ? Sure it was . You had 2 fighter with equally shot skills going at it. Which made it entertaining to watch. I've seen just as exciting fights at the local Legion on a Saturday night. Two guys, no defence , just wailing away. It's fun to watch. But make no mistake , this wasn't elite fighters going at it. It was actually sad to see. Two absolutely shot fighters beating the piss out of each other. In the USA , they glorified it. Made movies about it. When all it was, was 1 "has-been" , Gatti, fighting a " never-was ", Ward . That's what it was . Gatti had peaked several years before , never mind being knocked out several times, and the 11 loss Ward was just a doorkeeper , getting beat all the time. But the Americans soak that kind of stuff up. Same as Canelo whipping all these guys that didn't stand a chance for the last 5 years. His big Pope-like entrances . Even Canelo bought into his own fraud. It's sad. Anyhow , Gatti vs Ward was a farce . , 2 completely shot fighters, that ended up evenly matched and made for a good fight because of that. At the time Gatti had a name, that's it. and Ward, a reputation of someone that could give you a few rounds. The biggest fraud " Big " fight of all time.

[OnePunch]

This is EXACTLY what makes me laugh at American boxing fans, media, everyone. People like to forget that this was a completely SHOT Gatti going up against , at the time , Ward , who was considered basically a lower " B " type fighter. One of those pure glorified clubfighters. Maybe at best a 30th rated fighter. At absolute best. He came into the fight a big underdog against the shot Gatti. Ward had lost 11 fights when they fought. Gatti been knocked out a few times and was severely fadedfrom his prime years . Was the fight competitive ? Sure it was . You had 2 fighter with equally shot skills going at it. Which made it entertaining to watch. I've seen just as exciting fights at the local Legion on a Saturday night. Two guys, no defence , just wailing away. It's fun to watch. But make no mistake , this wasn't elite fighters going at it. It was actually sad to see. Two absolutely shot fighters beating the piss out of each other. In the USA , they glorified it. Made movies about it. When all it was, was 1 "has-been" , Gatti, fighting a " never-was ", Ward . That's what it was . Gatti had peaked several years before , never mind being knocked out several times, and the 11 loss Ward was just a doorkeeper , getting beat all the time. But the Americans soak that kind of stuff up. Same as Canelo whipping all these guys that didn't stand a chance for the last 5 years. His big Pope-like entrances . Even Canelo bought into his own fraud. It's sad. Anyhow , Gatti vs Ward was a farce . , 2 completely shot fighters, that ended up evenly matched and made for a good fight because of that. At the time Gatti had a name, that's it. and Ward, a reputation of someone that could give you a few rounds. The biggest fraud " Big " fight of all time.

your brain doesn't function properly

[AmpMcv]

This is EXACTLY what makes me laugh at American boxing fans, media, everyone. People like to forget that this was a completely SHOT Gatti going up against , at the time , Ward , who was considered basically a lower " B " type fighter. One of those pure glorified clubfighters. Maybe at best a 30th rated fighter. At absolute best. He came into the fight a big underdog against the shot Gatti. Ward had lost 11 fights when they fought. Gatti been knocked out a few times and was severely fadedfrom his prime years . Was the fight competitive ? Sure it was . You had 2 fighter with equally shot skills going at it. Which made it entertaining to watch. I've seen just as exciting fights at the local Legion on a Saturday night. Two guys, no defence , just wailing away. It's fun to watch. But make no mistake , this wasn't elite fighters going at it. It was actually sad to see. Two absolutely shot fighters beating the piss out of each other. In the USA , they glorified it. Made movies about it. When all it was, was 1 "has-been" , Gatti, fighting a " never-was ", Ward . That's what it was . Gatti had peaked several years before , never mind being knocked out several times, and the 11 loss Ward was just a doorkeeper , getting beat all the time. But the Americans soak that kind of stuff up. Same as Canelo whipping all these guys that didn't stand a chance for the last 5 years. His big Pope-like entrances . Even Canelo bought into his own fraud. It's sad. Anyhow , Gatti vs Ward was a farce . , 2 completely shot fighters, that ended up evenly matched and made for a good fight because of that. At the time Gatti had a name, that's it. and Ward, a reputation of someone that could give you a few rounds. The biggest fraud " Big " fight of all time.

I'm American and you're right. We've dumbed down the average person here until we're basically incapable of critical thinking. Pathetic and it's just getting worse.

[edgarg]

By Keith Idec - Micky Ward was certain he had blown his chance to fight Arturo Gatti. During their limo ride back from Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio the night of January 5, 2002, Lou DiBella, who was Ward's promoter, tried to convince the loveable everyman whose life story later became an Oscar-winning motion picture that his technical-decision defeat to Jesse Leija might not have cost him the Gatti fight. The former HBO Sports executive knew that his successors at the network would still be interested in Gatti-Ward, assuming Gatti would defeat Terron Millett three weeks later, because Gatti and Ward would make magic in the ring.
[Click Here To Read More]

True, a great fight...But I preferred the Emanuel Burton/Augustus Ward fight; also the Augustus-Gatti fight. Because with Garri-Ward you saw pure slugging, but with the Augustus fights you saw slugging, yes, but also you saw skill, especially from Augustus, who was really only a lightweight. He could be very skilled, but did ****** thangs and was feather-fisted..With decent management and CONTROL, he'd have been a world champ. He LOVED fighting, mixing it up.

[archiemoore1]

I remember being in gleasons gym riding the exercise bike while I watched Gatti spar. I remember thinking that for a 140 lb guy, he had some big legs he was squatting real low and coming up with his big hooks. And he could box too. Gatti was stalking and his sparring partner was jabbing and circling, trying to stay away. Then instead of coming straight forward, suddenly Gatti stepped over and the poor guy ran right nto a left hook and had spaghetti legs and was out on his feet but he didn't fall. They told him to walk it off and he jogged around the ring a few times to get his legs back, and then they continued sparring. I could tell Gatti didn't even try to throw the hook hard, he just timed it perfectly. Watching the sparring next to me on the other bike, was Gatti's then girlfriend. She still has to be one of the best looking women I ever saw, hands down. Her body was unreal and her face and her green eyes had me as dizzy as that sparring partner was. I was trying to not be disrespectful but I was just staring at her and thinking all kinda nasty sh.t in my head. At the time, Gatti's trainer was Hector Rocha, one of the nicest ppl I ever met

[edgarg]

I'm American and you're right. We've dumbed down the average person here until we're basically incapable of critical thinking. Pathetic and it's just getting worse.

You make a lot of sense...and truth. This is exactly, almost word for word, except that Marciano was not finished just never any better) that I write about Marciano's Championship fights against all the old and faded once great fighters , but then down to Marciano's level, making them into "good" fights)

[archiemoore1]

You make a lot of sense...and truth. This is exactly, almost word for word, except that Marciano was not finished just never any better) that I write about Marciano's Championship fights against all the old and faded once great fighters , but then down to Marciano's level, making them into "good" fights)

I respectfully disagree. Marciano beat Ezzard, Jersey Joe, Archie Moore, and Joe Louis. They weren't in their prime but even past their prime, they had lots to give. they would still wash a lot of ppl around today. Marciano did what he had to do and took whoever was put in front of him. He didnt duck them or try to wait until they got old like fighters do today he just came along a few years after them. Its not his fault. He didn't even wanna fight Archie. Archie followed him around and talked his way into that fight. Walcott said if I can't beat this bum, take my name outta the history books. Ezzard was still no joke. Joe Louis was faded but again, Marciano did not want that fight. And Marciano could knock ur brains out for real. He was truly the real deal

[real raw]

This is EXACTLY what makes me laugh at American boxing fans, media, everyone. People like to forget that this was a completely SHOT Gatti going up against , at the time , Ward , who was considered basically a lower " B " type fighter. One of those pure glorified clubfighters. Maybe at best a 30th rated fighter. At absolute best. He came into the fight a big underdog against the shot Gatti. Ward had lost 11 fights when they fought. Gatti been knocked out a few times and was severely fadedfrom his prime years . Was the fight competitive ? Sure it was . You had 2 fighter with equally shot skills going at it. Which made it entertaining to watch. I've seen just as exciting fights at the local Legion on a Saturday night. Two guys, no defence , just wailing away. It's fun to watch. But make no mistake , this wasn't elite fighters going at it. It was actually sad to see. Two absolutely shot fighters beating the piss out of each other. In the USA , they glorified it. Made movies about it. When all it was, was 1 "has-been" , Gatti, fighting a " never-was ", Ward . That's what it was . Gatti had peaked several years before , never mind being knocked out several times, and the 11 loss Ward was just a doorkeeper , getting beat all the time. But the Americans soak that kind of stuff up. Same as Canelo whipping all these guys that didn't stand a chance for the last 5 years. His big Pope-like entrances . Even Canelo bought into his own fraud. It's sad. Anyhow , Gatti vs Ward was a farce . , 2 completely shot fighters, that ended up evenly matched and made for a good fight because of that. At the time Gatti had a name, that's it. and Ward, a reputation of someone that could give you a few rounds. The biggest fraud " Big " fight of all time.

Very accurate description, but that does not negate the facts; 1) great fight! 2) entertaining 3) evenly matched 4) fantastic display of heart 5) great fight!!!!

[wileyhemi]

Lower tier fighters committing body abuse