Simply put, they were a match made in heaven.
It speaks volumes to both the late Arturo 'Thunder' Gatti and 'Irish' Micky Ward that they were able to produce one of the most compelling rivalries in boxing history without ever fighting for a world title.
Between 2002 and 2003, both traded leather three times on the spin, with no fights in between - a throwback to a bygone era in the sport. The resulting trilogy and bromance captured the hearts of sports fans around the world, and propelled Ward towards Hollywood.
Narrated by Mark Wahlberg who played Ward in David O. Russell's The Fighter, this HBO documentary chronicles the rivalry along with Gatti's tragic and untimely death in suspicious circumstances back in 2009, and includes interviews with the real Dickie Ecklund (played by Christian Bale in The Fighter) along with unprecedented access to a candid Ward, who is preparing to make a speech at Gatti's Hall of Fame induction.
If that doesn't whet your appetite, check out round 9 of their first fight, which certainly will:
