Not really sure why but ever since I can remember my family has always enjoyed Irish traditions, music and so on. It was an early influence that always stuck. My mother’s side of the family was rumored to have Irish heritage in it. When a family tree was done (not sure if it was completed) there were Irish ties found.
In high school this didn’t change. A great deal of my friends had Scottish, English and Irish roots. We all hung out at the only Irish pub in town that was owned by an Irish/Scottish family who we became close with. We were there so often that we also knew all the Celtic bands well and often had pints together.
My sporting teams (Notre dame & the bruins) even have an Irish connection. But speaking of sports there is one interesting fighting Irishman that I have been reading a great deal about and watching his matches.
As I was listening to the Dropkick Murphy’s (Irish punk music), I realized that I had no idea who the boxer was on the cover of “The Warrior’s Code” cd. So with a few internet searches I was able to come up with quite a bit about this impressive boxer.
Quick profile; “Irish” Mickey ward, birth place Lowell MA 1965, junior welter weight, 51 fights 38 wins, 27 KOs, 13 loses. Won three New England Golden Gloves. After several devastating loses Ward came back with a vengeance winning fights against big names in his division and quickly being known as one of the fiercest fighters in the division.
Ward was best known for two things. Mickey had a lethal left hook to the body and was known to KO his opponent with a single body shot, not something heard of often, especially in his weight class. He would also take 8 or 9 rounds of beating just to wait for the perfect moment to unleash his signature punch, which makes him harder then a coffin nail -as Turkish says in Snatch about Brad pitt’s character Mickey.
The second was three separate battles with Arturo Gatti. The last fight (2003) was considered the fight of the year and round 9 was the round of the century. Although Ward had announced his retirement before the fight the two men fought hard and long through 10 rounds. Although Mickey would lose his last bout, in round 9 he would show why he was an amazing fighter coming out with a flurry of technically perfect combinations.
They also showed each other great sportsmanship and respect as they hugged each other before the final round. They proved that the sport could still be pure and get away from all the showboating and corruption that has overshadowed the boxing scene for years. In their second meeting Gatti hit Ward in the ear with “the hardest punch” Gatti says he ever landed.
Ward had to sit out for the mandatory 8 seconds and boxing officials noted that if it had been any other fighter, then Ward, the referee would have called the fight after that punch ending it in the 3 round. But due to Ward’s toughness and determination the referee allowed him to fight on, which lasted another 7 rounds.
Mickey ward is considered a working class hero in Boston, MA. He over came great trials and tribulations to become a professional fighter. He remains an inspiration to those in the area and has a legacy that carries on in music by the DKM and in 2009 there will be a biopic released of Ward’s life and accomplishments “The Fighter”.
So cheers to a true fighting Irishman.
In high school this didn’t change. A great deal of my friends had Scottish, English and Irish roots. We all hung out at the only Irish pub in town that was owned by an Irish/Scottish family who we became close with. We were there so often that we also knew all the Celtic bands well and often had pints together.
My sporting teams (Notre dame & the bruins) even have an Irish connection. But speaking of sports there is one interesting fighting Irishman that I have been reading a great deal about and watching his matches.
As I was listening to the Dropkick Murphy’s (Irish punk music), I realized that I had no idea who the boxer was on the cover of “The Warrior’s Code” cd. So with a few internet searches I was able to come up with quite a bit about this impressive boxer.
Quick profile; “Irish” Mickey ward, birth place Lowell MA 1965, junior welter weight, 51 fights 38 wins, 27 KOs, 13 loses. Won three New England Golden Gloves. After several devastating loses Ward came back with a vengeance winning fights against big names in his division and quickly being known as one of the fiercest fighters in the division.
Ward was best known for two things. Mickey had a lethal left hook to the body and was known to KO his opponent with a single body shot, not something heard of often, especially in his weight class. He would also take 8 or 9 rounds of beating just to wait for the perfect moment to unleash his signature punch, which makes him harder then a coffin nail -as Turkish says in Snatch about Brad pitt’s character Mickey.
The second was three separate battles with Arturo Gatti. The last fight (2003) was considered the fight of the year and round 9 was the round of the century. Although Ward had announced his retirement before the fight the two men fought hard and long through 10 rounds. Although Mickey would lose his last bout, in round 9 he would show why he was an amazing fighter coming out with a flurry of technically perfect combinations.
They also showed each other great sportsmanship and respect as they hugged each other before the final round. They proved that the sport could still be pure and get away from all the showboating and corruption that has overshadowed the boxing scene for years. In their second meeting Gatti hit Ward in the ear with “the hardest punch” Gatti says he ever landed.
Ward had to sit out for the mandatory 8 seconds and boxing officials noted that if it had been any other fighter, then Ward, the referee would have called the fight after that punch ending it in the 3 round. But due to Ward’s toughness and determination the referee allowed him to fight on, which lasted another 7 rounds.
Mickey ward is considered a working class hero in Boston, MA. He over came great trials and tribulations to become a professional fighter. He remains an inspiration to those in the area and has a legacy that carries on in music by the DKM and in 2009 there will be a biopic released of Ward’s life and accomplishments “The Fighter”.
So cheers to a true fighting Irishman.
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