MICKY WARD
Astonishing insight from the warrior as he assesses the damage boxing caused
I CAN REMEMBER FIRST GRADE BUT NOT SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY”
MICKY WARD. Warrior? Brawler? Honest pro? Hardest worker in the room? You think you know the man the Oscar-winning movie The Fighter was based on? You think you know about the boxing cult hero who shared three Fights of the Year with his great rival Arturo Gatti, or the man whose signature left hook to the liver gave 140-pounders around the world nightmares? The truth is we do not know him at all.
But we are going to learn. We are going to learn the price he paid for the fantastic wars he gave us. We are going to know the consequences of what he put on the line every night fans roared him on from ringside as he rallied in another wild battle. We will learn more, just not yet. And hopefully we won’t for many more years. But when the 52-year-old passes and neurologists start picking at his brain and spinal column to understand more about the cumulative effect blows to the head have on fighters, we will know everything.
Ward has agreed to donate both parts to the world’s largest study into fighter brain health. He has already been told he has CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and his health is likely to deteriorate. The price of combat. The bruising battles will eventually be cashed in by a body that was able to stand up to abuse for so long before the volume of blows it was subjected to forced even Ward’s most stubborn resistance to crumble. He is now boldly staring down a life of cognitive impairment. War after war, concussion after concussion, Micky has become educated on the physical sacrifices he made in almost 30 years of boxing.
“I had the tests done,” he says of the research he is doing with a group of Boston neurologists, which is working in partnership with the Lou Ruvo Clinic for brain health in Las Vegas. “Dr Robert Cantu at Boston Medical and Chris Norwinsky have done this based out of this concussion and CTE thing in Boston. I took the test in 2005 and it came back that I have it. Now, they can’t tell how bad you have it until you’re dead and then they can go inside and look at your brain, so they can look at the effects of concussion and that’s when they can see how bad it was.”
Ward has witnessed fighters fade over the years. He has heard words slurred, seen walking become a stagger and now knows why short-term memories falter.
“No, I’m not scared,” he says, taking his time to consider the question. “I mean, I am and I ain’t. It is what it is. That’s why I try to stay healthy, work out and stay busy, because once you go off the deep end and you’re doing drink and drugs, it’s going to get worse.” He often chooses early nights over going out to bars with his brother, former pro Dicky Eklund. He is careful with what he eats, gets plenty of sleep and is on medication to control his symptoms. As yet, the worst of his ailments are quick temperament changes and forgetfulness. “I have my days,” he continues. “Long term I could tell you first grade things I remember. I couldn’t tell you yesterday, some things… Some things I can’t really see [happening to him], but my wife tells me. If I don’t take my medicine I get snappy, and I didn’t have that years ago. I’m very sharp-tempered if I don’t take it. She will say to me, ‘Did you take your medicine today?’ and that’s what I hate. If I’ve forgotten to she can tell. And I’ll snap, ‘Yeah I took the medicine.’ Then I’ll go and take it.” Micky chuckles at the lack of domestic bliss, perhaps a little nervously over what it all means. Then he goes back to the brain. “Everybody’s concussions are different,” he explains, talking about a health crisis that has had a jarring effect on the entire American Football industry. “Some people suffer from headaches. Some suffer from depression. Some people get tired. Some get angry. Some people want to hurt you. Some want to hurt themselves. Not everybody’s are the same. But it’s real, it’s happening [in boxing]. You can’t deny it because it’s proven with what it’s done to fighters, to [American] football players, to soccer players, to wrestlers. What I believe, and I don’t know this for sure, but three minors [concussions] is a major. Just getting stunned in the gym with a right hand or whatever – not hurt – just stunned, that’s a minor. I used to get those constantly. ³