Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

(the venue & the crowd)

Foxwoods Casino Resort in Uncasville, CT is one of the most popular boxing venues on the east coast and has been home to some of the biggest non-Vegas style boxing matches, without the glitz, glam and celebrities. This is home to real boxing and real boxing fans. These are the people who show up for all the fights on the card, not just the main event. This isn’t about being on television or texting selfies to all your friends, that you are at a boxing match in Vegas and Justin Bieber is sitting three seats over. No. This is boxing. Real boxing. Real boxing fans. True appreciation for the sport in this venue. Posers stay home!

“In most conditions this fight would have been stopped right here,” Emanuel Steward said as he was watching the replay of round nine on his press monitor just before the bell rang to start round ten. As the bell rang to start round ten, Gatti’s trainer Buddy McGirt remained in the ring standing in front of Arturo Gatti as if he was stopping the fight. Micky Ward immediately put his hands up in triumph as if the fight is being stopped. Jim Lampley shouted into his microphone “This fight’s gonna be stopped… Nope, it’s not! I thought Buddy McGirt was gonna stop it after saying he wasn’t going to let his fighter take anymore punishment.”

 That look on Gatti’s face immediately followed by the deep breath he just took as he braced himself for the onslaught he knew was coming from Ward as soon as he stopped punching, was undeniable: “How can you still be standing here?!”

(pandemonium)

“This is the way it has to end!” shouted Larry Merchant.

(the post fight interviews and the playing of Round 9 in its entirety in the ring for the fighters immediately following the fight)

Special heartfelt thanks to Referee Frank Cappuccino for allowing it to continue!