Arturo Gatti & Mickey Ward Dual Signed Boxing Gloves
The greatest trilogy of recent times featured
Arturo Gatti and Mickey Ward. Part I, was the 2002 fight
of the year. Part II was an honorable mention. Part III
was every bit as delicious as the previous helpings and
the perfect bookend for the series.
Gatti and Ward
Gloves £195.00
This wonderfulset of Everlast boxing gloves
comes complete with our Certificate of Authenticity and
photographs of Gatti and Ward at the signing, plus all the
attached security holograms, so you can be rest assured
you are buying genuine autographs. Mickey Ward has added
his Irish Inscription.
ATLANTIC CITY - About an hour after they battered
and bloodied one another for the third time, Arturo Gatti
and Micky Ward sat side-by-side early Sunday morning in
the Atlantic City Medical Center emergency room.
Watch the Gatti vs Ward Boxing Video Compilation:
By then they were laughing, not cringing,
and exchanging high-fives, not hellacious hooks. Perhaps
it was then that the junior welterweight warriors breathed
simultaneous sighs of relief, grateful that their thrilling
trilogy was finally finished. These two genuine good guys
will never have to throw ill-intended punches at each other
again.
And as appreciative as fight fans are of
the enthralling 30 rounds they've completed in the last
13 months, we, too, should probably be most thankful that
they won't fight four times.
Because after another brutal bout Saturday
night at Boardwalk Hall, which Gatti again won by unanimous
decision, they couldn't possibly absorb much more punishment
from each other without walking away worse off than they
did Saturday night.
As it stood Sunday, Gatti still was not certain
if he had a broken bone in his right hand because X-rays
of his swollen middle knuckle were inconclusive. So he'll
visit Dr. Charles Melone, the renowned New York hand surgeon,
today to see if he'll need more surgery. Melone repaired
Gatti's right hand after his rematch with Ward.
Gatti also received three stitches above his
left eye, while Ward required seven stitches to close the
cut above his left eye. Ward's hands hurt as well, but X-rays
did not reveal any fractures.
Once the doctors determined that they were
relatively healthy, Ward was transported back to their hotel
in Gatti's car, another sure sign that they've developed
a rare respectful relationship, maybe incomparable among
legendary ring rivals.
TThe 37-year-old Ward retired after a second
straight decision defeat to Gatti, and this isn't one of
those temporary departures that are all too common in this
dangerous game. Ward debuted professionally on June 13,
1985, early in Ronald Reagan's second term in office, and
began boxing at age 7.
"I could still do it," Ward said.
"My body's fine. But enough is enough. Thirty years
is a grind, especially these last few years with the fights
against Arturo, and prior to that I had some wars. I want
to be fine when it's all said and done. I want to live a
normal life."
Ward's work in his last four fights, three
against Gatti and one against Jesse James Leija, has helped
him earn more than $2.3 million. That's pretty impressive
for an aging guy with 13 losses. So Ward will live a little
more comfortably in Lowell, Mass., but he has no intentions
of abandoning full-time employment as a steamroller operator,
which paid the bills when Ward's boxing career produced
much more glory than money.
"It's great to have a seven-figure payday
(from the second fight against Gatti), but you can't just
sit on it. Hopefully I'll invest it right and I'll be all
set, and I can retire early."
