I loved The Fighter, but as I wrote in my review, I thought the actual fight scenes were the weakest parts (NAWT GRITTY ENOUGH, TAWMMY. I DON’T THINK THIS CAWKSUCKAH’S HISTAWRICKLY ACCURIT). On that note, the folks at Fandor recently put together this little clip comparing fact with fiction in The Fighter, mainly through one fight in particular, Irish Micky Ward’s title fight with Shea Neary.
[OBVIOUSLY, DON'T READ THIS NEXT PART IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS {though I wouldn't consider any of this very important to the plot}]
Most of the dramatic license is the kind of stuff you’d expect and fairly innocuous:
- The movie shows Ward’s mother at the fight when she wasn’t (NAWT YOU)
- Dicky’s corner advice to Micky was a lot less… “inspirational” than in the movie (GET IN CLOSAH, HE’S TEARIN YOU APAAHT!)
- The TV’s showed the fight in widescreen, even though they weren’t in widescreen at the time
- The movie shows Micky get knocked down, in reality he just got wobbled
- The movie lists both fighters at 146 pounds, in reality Ward was 140, Neary 139. [My guess is they added some weight because Mark Wahlberg is much heavier than Ward, though it looks like he's more like 180]
The most damning parts are actually where the video calls out the film for its use of tired boxing-movie clichés — just one of the reasons I think it would’ve been better if they’d just used the actual fight footage. The strangest discrepancy of all has to be that the movie gets Ward’s record wrong, listing him at 30-7-0 with 20 KOs at the time of the fight, when he was actually 35-9-0 with 25 KOs. I can’t imagine what dramatic purpose that would’ve served, so it must’ve been simple research error. OH LOOKIT YOU WIT YA FANCY FACKIN FIGYAHS, IS THIS A HAAHVAHD BAAH? Anyway, it seems like none of the dramatic license really added all that much to the movie. If they really wanted to spice it up, they should’ve had Ward walk in to “Feel the Vibration” and yell “POW!” after the knockout.
Feel it, feel it.
"POW!"
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Fun fact: An ‘Irish Mickey’ is when you buy a girl a shot of Jameson and then sock her in the ear.
Are you trying to imply sir, that we Irish have a propensity to imbibe in the drink and commit malicious acts of violence? Raaahthuurr!
[Walks off pounding half a bottle of Jameson’s, kicks child in sternum for looking at him cockeyed
Is this the stuff that they’re always advertising for during The Ultimate Fighter on Spike?
I always thought the dude on the left was an ‘Irish Mickey’?
Extenz?
An “Iowa Mickey” is when you get blasted on Labatt’s and go home and fuck your sister!…is what somebody told Him on the internet.
Professional boxers are that light? Really?
Maybe I’m just used to football, where some of the guys weigh as much as my car.
That’s because football doesn’t have weight classes. They fight people their own size, so it pays to be as light as you can be.
So there are guys more concerned about their weight than I am about mine?
Who’s neurotic now, bitches?!
That sounds like some Jim Crow shit right there Vinky.
True story- I mentioned to a friend this weekend that I haven’t seen the fighter yet because I’m spent on boxing movies. To which he replied, “Its not really about boxing, its about Lowell.”
Someone please confirm that the movie is in fact about Lowell, Mass. because if its true this will officially be the shittiest thing a movie has ever been ‘about’.
Patty, you need to stop driving that SmartCar. Facebook worries that it won’t protect you in an accident.
And do you take laxatives to reduce your weight? Then yes, there are guys MUCH more concerned about their weight then you.
I’m always concerned about my wait. This mofo’s got some drank to destroy and can’t do it in the line at Vons. They frown on that shit. So you’re ass had better not have more than 16 items in the express lane or I’m going chimpanze style on your shit. Lets see you eat your toaster bagles with three fingers and no face, fatty-mc-weezewhistle.
Ahhhhhh fucking grammar! Eat a dried nut rag!
Patty, do a cursory google search about wrestlers/boxers/MMA fighters “cutting weight” and see what you think. The Sweet Valley High Pro-Ans got nuthin’ on that shit.
fucking grammar!
Yes, that’s exactly what you’re doing, Crappy.
Smart Car? Do I look like Katherine Heigl to you?
Yes.
Gotta stick with what you do best broheim.
wow movies ain’t the very exact same thing as reality… who knew… better yet who gives a shit?
Not to be a douche-nozzle but just wanted to point out that boxing weight classes run every 7 pounds, so they probably weighed in at 139 and 140 then you know, actually ate and drank water in the days before their fight. I boxed in the 155 weight class but come the actual day of a fight I was more like 161 or 162.
//The More You Know
Yes, but this refers specifically to the tale of the tape at the beginning of the fight, which expressly listed the official weight taken at the weigh ins.
Versimilitude? WHAT AHH YEW, A HAHVED PRUFESSAH? FACK YOU!