Professional boxing is the ultimate form of improvisation. Everyone has a plan or a strategy. Each fighter has a foundation. When that bell rings though, it’s adapt or die. No one knows this better than Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti. The two fighters shared the ring together a total of three times, in an epic trilogy that would rattle the world of sports for years after. It was a series of fights that would come to define them both, full of action, drama, passion, and emotion. HBO covered their story in the detailed documentary Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward.
It was a series of fights that would come to define them both, full of action, drama, passion, and emotion. HBO covered their story in the detailed documentary Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward.
The documentary is narrated by Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg, Wahlberg of whom has actually played a version of Micky Ward in the hit film The Fighter. The Fighter covered a pivotal moments of Micky Ward’s rise to the top, but the one thing it left out were his legendary bouts with Arturo Gatti. Legendary Nights takes fans through what led to their first meeting in the ring, to what would eventually become a war told in three parts, how the battle would play out, and the epilogue that would follow. The fights themselves were unlike anything pundits, boxers, or fight fans had ever witnessed; but the documentary, is merely a chance to see things from the perspective of those who were involved.
There were a lot of prominent voices who contributed to putting this special together. Viewers will get a chance to hear from Ward himself, the famous Michael Buffer, boxing expert Larry Merchant, and many others who found themselves in Ward or Gatti’s inner circle. Directors Gabe Spitzer and Bentley Weiner included exclusive footage of all three fights as well as between the bell moments with Ward and Gatti’s trainers (Dick Eklund and Buddy McGirt). There is so much emotion packed into the entire special, much of it coming from hearing Ward’s perspective on their shared experience. As Gatti had passed away some time before the documentary was released, there are no present day accounts of his views on what happened. They were able to add enough footage from when their fought took place, including interviews with Gatti’s management about how things were going behind the scenes. More than anything, Legendary Nights allows fans of the fighters to relieve the moments that changed both of them forever, showcasing a brutal battle between individuals that would evolve into a beautiful friendship.
Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward is about more than just one night. Seldom happens a rivalry that comes even remotely close to comparing to what Ward and Gatti had. In a sport that revolves around the individual, the saga of Gatti vs. Ward is reminder that to become a boxing legend, one must have a good dance partner. Legendary Nights makes that much obvious, and these two couldn’t have asked for a better man to stand opposite. As it happens, the documentary is on YouTube at no cost. Consider it a bonus, that so are all three fights.
