ROUND NINE By Ben Philips ©2015

ROUND NINE

By Ben Philips ©2015

Introduction:

“Fight ain’t over, fight ain’t over, No! Last round!!!” shouted referee Frank Cappuccino. The confusion in the ring between rounds 9 and 10 was completely understandable. “A fight straight out of the 1950’s, a throwback to the golden era of the ring,” Jim Lampley would say on HBO. Round nine was hands down, the most exciting single round in boxing history. You can do an internet search on “Round 9”, and always, on the top of the search results list, comes the first battle between “Irish” Micky Ward and Arturo “Thunder” Gatti. Round 9 was so significant because it highlighted so much guts and stamina on the parts of both fighters, that it is burned into the minds of boxing fans all over the world as “thee round,” the most compelling round that they will ever witness. “This could be the round of the century!” Emanuel Steward screamed into the microphone after round 9.

Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward will forever be intertwined for their three epic battles, but it is Round Nine of Gatti-Ward 1 that started it all. With Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant calling the fight live on HBO, the excitement was a culmination of a fight that started out as a boxing match and ended up as a slugfest, with everyone at ringside in such a frenzy, that Jim Lampley was actually yelling to referee Frank Cappuccino, “stop the fight Frank, Arturo Gatti is out on his feet, feel free to stop the fight at anytime Frank!” Just as the words left his lips, Arturo Gatti not only put up his hands to defend himself from the barrage of punches being thrown by Micky Ward, but he actually started to punch back. As much as Jim Lampley wanted the fight to be stopped, you could hear the undeniable excitement in his voice when he realizes the referee wasn’t going to stop the fight, and he screams “Frank Cappuccino is letting them continue and now it’s GATTI coming back!!!”

Witnessing this fight live on HBO is a moment frozen in time for me, as I’m sure it is for most boxing fans. It is an event much like the assassination of JFK for most people who were alive at that time. They remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when it happened. It is much like that for me. It is a moment in my life that had such impact, that I remember almost photographically, exactly what was going on that day, night, how I felt immediately afterward, and the drama and turmoil that was unfolding in my own life, right before my very eyes. I remember what I was doing, what I was eating, drinking, and how, although it was expected to be a good fight, nobody had any idea they were witnessing the greatest display of blood and guts they would likely ever witness in their lifetime. “They gave up a piece of their lives for us. Thanks Guys, this is why we do it” said Larry Merchant of HBO for the Legendary Nights series. He couldn’t have said it better. I hope you enjoy Round Nine, as it is not only a story of blood and guts in boxing, but in life.