GATTI, ARTURO-MICKEY WARD I SIGNED PRINT (2002-HEART OF A LION-FROM COLLECTION OF AL GAVIN)

HISTORY: On May 18, 2002, Arturo Gatti squared off against Micky Ward in one of the greatest fights that boxing fans had any right to hope for. CompuBox numbers yielded a staggering statistic: Gatti had landed 42 of 61 power punches for a 69 percent connect rate, while Ward had landed 60 of 81 for a 73 percent connect rate. The judges awarded the victory to Ward by a narrow decision, but it really didn’t matter whom the judges declared as the winner; the fight was so great that it transcended the opinions of three men ringside and was destined to be a trilogy. Of course, for boxing fans, the fights were only part of a well-known story. Both men became great friends, and that friendship lasted until Gatti’s untimely demise in 2007. It was a classic fight at a time when the sport needed it most; it spoke to the best aspects of the sport, and it was, and always will be, a defining fight for both of those great men. Offered here is a scarce original print made by D & B Meadows in 2003