Intimate Warfare: The True Story of the Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward Boxing Trilogy

Boxing writers Taylor and Raspanti track the careers of Arturo “Thunder” Gatti and ”Irish” Mickey Ward, whose three-fight saga brought them pugilistic glory and million-dollar paydays at terrible physical and psychic cost. Gatti’s natural ability and movie-star good looks earned him titles that his recklessness, in and out of the ring, quickly overshadowed. Ward, less talented, won acclaim for a relentless attacking style that made him a crowd favorite. Both men’s careers were in decline when their first encounter riveted the fight world. Only six years after their final battle, Gatti was found dead in a Brazilian motel room, apparently a suicide. Ward, on the other hand, became a national celebrity with the film The Fighter, which was based on his tumultuous life in hardscrabble Lowell, Mass., and received seven Oscar nominations. However, no amount of financial compensation could make up for his shattered hand, blurred vision, and damaged brain. The book covers familiar terrain, and the authors eagerly embrace venerable sports clichés of manly fortitude and undaunted heroism. Despite these shortcomings, their diligent research and insider feel for the sport result in an engaging overview of two very different paths toward three of boxing’s best-known fights. Raspanti and Taylor’s most impressive accomplishment is to humanize the shirtless icons of pay-per-view, making the bloody drama of the ring even more difficult to watch and the fighters even more admirable. (Dec.)