The Fighter...Team Bogey Battler?

The Fighter, which was released this holiday season, tells the inspirational true story of former welterweight champion Irish Mickey Ward, who, before his triumphant days in boxing lore, would have qualified as a Team Bogey pugilist.  He had to fit training in around his job, had family responsibilities and distractions, and couldn't put all the pieces necessary for success, together at the right time.  Add to the mix, a drug addicted, former boxing star brother for a trainer, gravy train manager mother, and a whole litter of hard living sisters with input into every aspect of his life, and Mickey's odds of success were pretty slim.  Nonetheless, with belief in his own abilities, and the support of his girl, as well as the love of his stereotypical Irish clan of a family, he was able to not only find his way to ultimate victory in the ring, but managed to help inspire his brother to have success in his battle with addiction.  Those who have been waging their own battles against the odds, can only be inspired by the true life events depicted in The Fighter.  The battle to complete the project, which was waged by actor/director Mark Wahlberg, is inspirational in it's own right.  In a recent television interview, he said he had to continue training during the seven years it took to complete the project, in order to maintain the skills necessary to shoot the boxing scenes.  This dedication to the project mirrors the battlin' spirit reflected by the characters depicted in the movie. 

 

 

 Mickey Ward and Mark Wahlberg

Walberg and Christian Bale, who plays Dicky Eklund

 

There is a dramatic moment in the film, in which Ward's brother Dicky, speaks of how you can never give up, have to keep fighting, even when you get knocked down.  That was the moment when the young man sitting next to me and I, turned toward one another briefly, and as if a bell had rung simultaneously in each of our heads, mouthed the words..." Keep Battlin' "... and there was nothing else that needed to be said.