Although Arturo Gatti was known for his loyalty and humor outside the ring, no one took and delivered pain the way he did inside it. News of his passing was a final blow, to his fans and loved ones
GATTI/WARD II
Micky Ward
Probably my biggest memory of all three fights is when he knocked me down in the second fight. I think it was the third round. He hit me with a right hand on the back of the ear and it knocked my equilibrium off and I went down into the turnbuckle in the corner. I got up and I didn't have a clue where I was, and the referee's counting and I'm saying, "Yeah, I'm all right, I'm all right," but, you know, I'm not all right. So the ref lets it go, and Arturo throws a right hand from hell that catches me right on the button… but instead of putting me out, it woke me up! So I fired back at him, and then I was catching him with punches. It was just the weirdest thing. I'm out on my feet, and then he catches me with that right hand, ba-BOOM, and I wake up. I was like, thank you. Because if he didn't hit me with that punch, I probably would have fallen down on my own.