1. THE REAL ‘FIGHTERS’
AN EVENING WITH nationwide university speak-
ing tour to show clips and
A shockingly gaunt Bale
portrays the grim reality of
four years on various ver-
sions of the script.
WORLD CHAMPION answer questions about their Eklund’s addiction, his Today Ward owns Micky
BOXERS: MICKY WARD former boxing days, their per- enduring brotherly love and Ward Boxing Club located at
AND DICKY EKLUND sonal trials and their experi- talent as a superb trainer. Gold’s Gym in Chelmsford,
ences on the set of “The Fight- Eklund, best known for fight- Mass., near his hometown
Wed., April 20, er.” ing (and losing) to Sugar Ray and trains fighters. After suf-
7:30 p.m. In a telephone interview Leonard in a televised bout fering multiple concussions
University of Rhode with Ward last week from Bev- on HBO in 1978, said Bale in the ring, Ward has post-
Island, Edwards Auditorium, erly Hills, Calif., (where he “nailed” his performance and concussion syndrome, but
64 Upper College Road, received a Hope Award for his stayed in character on and off luckily feels no effects. He’s
Kingston community work through set. Nevertheless, he didn’t one of several athletes who’ll
Team Micky Ward Charities), like the film during his first donate his brain for research
Tickets $10, $3 students with the former World Boxing private screening with Bale at The Brain Donation Reg-
ID, available at The Memorial Union light welterweight said and Wahlberg. istry at the Center for the
Union Box Office, Ryan Center Christian Bale and Melissa “I was real sad and they Study of Traumatic
Box Office, Ticketmaster.com Leo, who both won Oscars for seen that I didn’t like it at all. Encephalopathy at Boston
or (800) 745-3000 “The Fighter,” created spot-on So I said, ‘I can’t watch this,’” University School of Medi-
performances of his free-spir- Eklund said. He changed his cine.
www.officialmickyward.com ited brother Eklund and his opinion of the film when he Eklund is a full-time train-
www.dickeklund.com gritty mom, Alice Ward. His watched it a second time with er and works with competi-
mercury
sisters, on the other hand, had a New Jersey audience who tive boxers, anyone who
a few words about their por- applauded the 53-year-old for wants to get in shape and
BY JENNIFER NICOLE SULLIVAN trayal as a troupe of bawdy, sharing his story. local disabled children.
Most often, films based on trash-talking, big-banged Author and screenwriter “It’s unbelievable, what a
real people are only somewhat broads. Richard Farrell, who made feeling,” said Eklund about
page 11
true. But for the Academy “Some of them gave me the the HBO documentary “High training the children.
Award-nominated film “The F-bomb, you know,” said on Crack Street: Lost Lives in “There’s nothing better to
Fighter,” about real-life Low- Ward, 45, between chuckles. Lowell,” which chronicles stay sober for than to help
ell, Mass., boxer “Irish” Micky “(And) they ain’t that bad as Eklund and other crack these people out.”
Ward and his half-brother far as how they look and addicts (and plays a major And he certainly helped his
APRIL 13-APRIL 19, 2011
Dick (Dicky) Eklund, Ward’s stuff.” plot line in “The Fighter”), younger brother whom he
trainer and former boxer who Ward’s girlfriend-now-wife will moderate the URI event. trained and pushed to numer-
battled a crack cocaine addic- Charlene Fleming, played by Farrell, also a Lowell native ous victories in the ring. The
tion, nearly all of it was pretty Amy Adams who earned an and a 24-year sober ex-heroin brothers remain close and see
darn true — with a few excep- Oscar nod, wasn’t too happy addict, has a bit acting role as each other nearly every day.
tions. about the fictional addition of an HBO cameraman in the “He knew me better than I
“It wasn’t the second floor, Charlene decking one of film. And although he doesn’t knew myself,” Ward said. “He
Ward’s sisters. Never hap- have a screenwriting credit knew what made me click
Red carpet treatment. Micky Ward, left, and Dicky Eklund, right,
it was the third,” said Eklund
via telephone from his Lowell pened. But from the time the on “The Fighter” (there are and what didn’t … he trained whom the film ‘The Fighter’ is based on, arrive with Scott Silver,
home last week about the couple started dating in 1999, three credited screenwriters, me hard. When he was in the one of the film’s screenwriters, before the 83rd Academy Awards
film’s depiction of him repeat- Fleming Ward (who attended Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and gym, he was a different per- on Feb. 27 in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. AP PHOTO BY
edly jumping from his home’s the University of Rhode Eric Johnson), Farrell son, like normal. He’s a good MATT SAYLES
second-floor window into a Island and plans to attend the worked closely with Silver for trainer…”
pile of garbage. “Yeah, cops URI speaking event) and
were comin’ … that was a bad Ward’s sisters have had their
day ... I didn’t land on garbage, share of arguments.
I landed on hard dirt.” “(Today) they’re cordial,”
Now sober after a five- to said Ward, who retired from
six-year stint in prison and boxing in 2003. “It’s not like
several relapses, Eklund, in they’re going to kill each oth-
his slurred, thick Boston er.”
accent coated with the effects In Ward’s view, actor and
of a recent upper respiratory producer Mark Wahlberg,
tract infection, can somewhat who spearheaded the making Winner of the
laugh about that dangerous of the film seven years ago, Newport
fall. He said he didn’t feel a didn’t receive his due credit Winter Festival
thing.
On Wednesday, April 20,
Ward and Eklund will take the
for his role as the quiet, laid-
back boxer or his tireless
work in the ring (Eklund
SURF FRIDAY TURF NIGHT
OR
& SATURDAY
Chili Cook Off
stage at the University of reportedly said Wahlberg
Rhode Island’s Edwards Audi- could have won a few real LOBSTER POT PIE $18.00 PRIME RIB DINNER $13.00
fights).
torium as a part of their BOTH WITH A CHOICE OF A STARTER
FREE PARKING AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ON FRIDAY & SATURDAY
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