Micky Ward injury update
04.12 - LOWELL, Mass. - "Irish" Micky Ward's reputation as one of boxing's noblest warriors was only enhanced after going the distance against Arturo Gatti, especially after he suffered a third-round ear injury that left his equilibrium off and him completely unbalanced for the final seven-plus rounds of their November 23rd fight in New Jersey.
Gatti hit Ward behind the left ear with a powerful right early in the third round, marking only the fourth time Micky had ever been floored, and Arturo went on to win a unanimous 10-round decision in Ward-Gatti 2.
Micky's doctor, Dr. Stephen Margles, examined Ward immediately after the fight and again this afternoon "There was quite an impact to the inside of Micky's ear, where the fluid probably got moved around, and that's when you get dizzy," Dr. Margles said. "It (the punch) upset his equilibrium and made it much harder for him to be balanced. It's like coming off an amusement ride. You get dizzy and stagger around like a drunk.
"Like everybody else who saw the fight, I don't know how he went on to finish. Micky said he saw three or four Gatti's for the last seven rounds. He just wasn't going to lay down unless he was out cold. He's still a little dizzy, but he should be 100-percent in a few more weeks."
Having never been counted out in now 316 rounds and 18 years as a professional boxer, Ward simply refused to quit and persevered right till the end, and with their rivalry now deadlocked at one win apiece, Micky hopes for a third match against Gatti in the late spring or early summer.
"I gave him a rematch and now it's his turn," Ward said. "No excuses, he fought a tremendous fight, but I'd like to settle the score one way or the other. I've only got one big fight left before I retire and I'd like it against Arturo. I have a lot of respect for him, in and out of the ring. I think the boxing public will demand a third fight between us. Nobody's complained about not getting their money's worth in our first two fights."
