MAY 18, 2002. 18 YRS LATER

The series was great for drawing in the casuals and giving the sport a spotlight. And I'm not going to deny I enjoyed watching it. But I don't go back and revisit it like I do other fights from that era.

 

I was sitting at home on the edge of the couch watching on a tiny old tv, back then, I always went out of my way to catch Boxing After Dark, and even more so, any Gatti fights. I knew, even then, that he wasn't a worldbeater, but it didn't matter, I knew if I saw Gatti on the card, that my time would be well spent. By the end of the fight, I recall that I was literally up on my feet, too infused with adrenaline to sit back down for some time.

Also, the Kings-Lakers series was the epitome of corrupt officiating, zero doubt about it. Right up there with the Heat-Mavs series where Bennett Salvadore favored Dwayne Wade to such a degree where he drew more fouls than the entire Dallas team, the Bulls-Knicks series with Hue Hollins when he dashed the Pippen led Bulls's hopes(and as a Bulls fan, that particuarly hurt), and most recently, the questionable flagrant on Draymond Green that led to his suspension. NBA officiating sometimes makes Canelo's Vegas advantage look nonexistent by comparison.

 

That's a bit unfair but that's mickys fault Micky had a habit of being a C- fighter and breaking out and doing great things...gatti had the ability to be a B - fighter yet found himself wailing away like a c - fighter ...their styles made this war ...

 

Im not saying I think both guys didnt do their best or that I think its overrated because neither guy was elite. Im saying I dont think it has the sustained action fans give it credit for. I think Gatti made this fight relatively easy when he wanted to and “sold” the fight to the fans and his paymasters at HBO when he needed to. Lets be honest, this fight was being hyped and promoted as some 50s throwback bloodbath before the first bell, which was kind of silly because Ward had a history of doing next to nothing for 8 rounds before suddenly waking up from his nap and having dramatic moments. His high volume performance against Augustus was totally atypical of Ward (and that was much more sustained action than the Gatti fights). Gatti was the human highlight reel but he was also a class above Ward and he showed it when he wanted to. That gap in class and Wards inability to let his hands go meant that Gatti had a pretty easy time most of the time. I see the same kind of overreaction with Holmes-Norton. People act like thats one of the greatest 15 rounders of all time. It had some great rounds but for the vast majority of the fight Holmes was well in control and kept Norton under control. Like the Gatti-Ward trilogy it wasnt the sustained two way action people pretend it was.