Eklund was also featured on the hbo documentary high on crack street. Massachusetts and the boxer about whom bob halloran writes in irish thunder. Micky ward was the local guy who did the impossible. His familydicky, micky, seven sisters and halfsisters and parents alice and georgegrew up in lowell at a time when the. Hbos film america undercover documented his life for a period of 18 months. The affected life dicky eklund richard dicky eklund is a former welterweight champion professional boxer whos career and lifestyle was unfortunately greatly affected by the consequences of crackcocaine addiction. Christian bale blew all the potential he had and more on an addiction to crack cocaine. Micky ward talks about the fighter and boxing during. Known as the pride of lowell, eklund is also the halfbrother of former wbu world champion micky ward.
Christian bale summons a fallen mans delusions in the fighter. Dec 18, 2010 the fighter is based on the true story of professional boxer irish micky ward mark wahlberg. He was recently portrayed by christian bale in the awardwinning biopic the fighter, which focuses on the relationship between eklund and his halfbrother, boxer irish micky ward. A former pugilist, whose claim to fame was going the distance with sugar ray leonard, eklund was addicted to crack cocaine. The lowell sun has released that video interview on its youtube channel. It aired on hbo as part of its series america undercover.
Jan 06, 2011 wahlberg, russell pack fighter full of punches mark wahlberg and david o. Boxer dicky eklund arraigned on domestic assault charges. Dicky ward, also a boxer, had fought a serious addiction to crack cocaine, and. Wahlberg, russell enter ring with the fighter mark wahlberg and david o. After eklund retired driven from the ring by an addiction to crack cocaine he taught ward.
Mark wahlberg and christian bale did a hell of a job. In the movie, we see an hbo camera crew following dickie. Dicky ward, also a boxer, had fought a serious addiction to crack cocaine, and when the documentary aired, he was in prison. In the past four years alone, he has been arrested for cocaine. A look at the early years of boxer irish micky ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s. But as the movie makes clear, the really bruising hits in ward s life come from outside of the ring, as he watches crack cocaine addiction hollow out his boxing role model, eklund, eight years.
The fighter true story real micky ward, dickie eklund, charlene. Wahlberg, russell enter ring with the fighter wbur news. Micky ward wahlberg must overcome not just obstacles in the ring, but the overshadowing presence of dickie christian bale and the overbearing management of. Well, now the 1995 hbo documentary high on crack street. Micky mark wahlberg is a welterweight boxer managed by his mother alice melissa leo and trained by. While cocaine is a derived from the south american coca plant and processed by reducing it to a white powdered substance, crack is produced from the powder by washing with either ammonia or. It was a coproduction of hbo and dctv, produced by farrell, deleo, and alpert. Eklund served as ward s trainer until his retirement after his third fight with arturo gatti on june 7, 2003. Eklund became addicted to crack cocaine and his fighting career ended in 1985. Eklunds career came to an end due to a crack cocaine addiction, which also landed him in jail.
Ward, 45, and his halfbrother dicky eklund, 53, who fought sugar ray leonard in 1978 before his boxing career was kod by crackcocaine. The true story behind the fighter movie confirms that micky ward has a daughter named kasie, who was born on june 20, 1989. At about the time the fighter was released, micky ward and his brother dickie ekland were interviewed. Purity improving bad cocaine or bad crack drugsforum. Dicky, portrayed by christian bale in the film, was a former pro boxer whose career ended after he became addicted to crack cocaine. Crack, the most potent form in which cocaine appears, is also the. Five squalid acres at the edge of the city are home to frances largest openair crack market an. This photo of a refocused dicky dickie eklund was taken by john wallace. Mickey ward, crack cocaine recovery, and the city of lowell. In 2005, dicky returned to using crack and was arrested for possession of crack cocaine on july 2, 2006.
Managed by his mother, alice ward, and trained by his older halfbrother, dicky eklund, micky became a stepping stone for other boxers to defeat on their way up. The fighter is based on the true story of professional boxer irish micky ward mark wahlberg. Mark wahlberg piles on the pounds to play boxer micky ward in. Dicky eklund ward knocks down sugar ray leonard the fighter. The fighter, a film starring mark wahlberg and christian bale that chronicles the lives of former professional boxers irish micky ward and his older brother dickie eklund, is scheduled to. The manual of adolescent substance abuse treatment calls it the most addictive form of cocaine. Mark wahlberg plays irish micky ward in the fighter. Lost lives in lowell, which features dicky eklunds struggle with crack cocaine.
Lost lives in lowell, which features dicky eklunds struggle with crack cocaine and also figures into the fighter as. Contact our agents today to book micky ward for your event. Did hbo really film a documentary about dickie eklunds addiction to crack cocaine. Wahlberg is playing american welterweight boxer irish micky ward in his new film, who spent several years away from the ring before being convinced to return by. His rockylike rise was shepherded by halfbrother dicky, a boxerturnedtrainer who rebounded in life after nearly being kod by drugs and crime. Most popular crack cocaine movies and tv shows imdb. One of three people featured as crack heads in lowell, dickie eklund was starring. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drugfree. During his academy award acceptance speech, he thanked eklund and ward, who were in the audience. Wellknown former welterweight boxer richard dicky eklund was arraigned in lowell on friday on charges of domestic assault and battery. His most notable fight was on july 18, 1978 against sugar ray leonard at the hynes memorial auditorium in boston, massachusetts. Dicky eklund ward knocks down sugar ray leonard the. Dicky, a former boxer whose peak of success was going the distance with sugar ray leonard in 1978, has become addicted to crack cocaine. The crack epidemic the history of crack cocaine drug.
The hard life and times of micky ward, discusses much of eklunds life and career. Three of ward s postretirement fights were voted fight of the year by ring magazine. The fighter movie trailer hd the fighter is a 2010 american biographical sports drama film. Micky photo edit fighter signed micky boston the strong signed ward,adidas spain fef training pants ai4868 soccer football gym track climacool pant,reduced 2 x boxer floyd mayweather boxing pin pinback badge buttons lot 12a. Mark wahlberg piles on the pounds to play boxer micky ward. Fighter, the high on crack in lowell awesomestories. He is the halfbrother and former trainer of former wbu champion micky ward. Crack cocaine basics crack cocaine is a schedule ii narcotic by federal classification, guidelines for which are found in the controlled substances act, enacted by congress in 1970. Hes playing a truelife brokendown exboxer, dicky eklund, and hes. Micky ward, december 9, 2010 did hbo really film a documentary about dickie eklunds addiction to crack cocaine.
Interviews with their families, friends, and members of. Based on the story of micky ward, an inexperienced boxer aims to evade his more famous older boxing brothers limelight in order to find his own way to shine. Instead of growing as a boxer, dickie was descending deeper and deeper into the destructive world of crack cocaine. Based on the story of micky ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother. In a profile about dicky in the march 2011 issue of mens journal, dicky revealed that he struggled with drinking, suffered from severe back pain, and had been arrested more than sixtysix times, including several times in the years since. Crack first saw widespread use as a recreational drug in primarily impoverished neighborhoods in new york city, philadelphia, baltimore, washington, d. Wahlberg is playing american welterweight boxer irish micky ward in his new film, who spent several years away from the ring before being convinced to return by his halfbrother dickie ecklund. Upon being released, eklund inspired his brother micky ward to. But crack cocaine use has also been reported as a significant problem in three french overseas territoriesguadeloupe, french guiana and martiniqueand in some communities in the netherlands. Crack cocaine is the crystal form of cocaine, which normally comes in a powder form. Paris dispatch crack cocaine makes a paris neighborhood hell for users and residents.
Crack cocaine, also known simply as crack or rock, is a free base form of cocaine that can be smoked. Watch the hbo documentary on dicky eklund, portrayed by. Life of fearless workingclass fighter micky ward becomes. Jan 05, 2018 dicky ward, also a boxer, had fought a serious addiction to crack cocaine, and when the documentary aired, he was in prison. During micky s more than two year retirement when he was not making much more than minimum wage as a prison guard, kasies mother laurie took her daughter and left micky. Mark wahlberg comes up a winner with the fighter reuters. With mark wahlberg, christian bale, amy adams, melissa leo. The fighter, is a drama about boxer irish micky ward s unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. Dicky, as anyone who has sat through the fighters grim crackhouse scenes knows, has. Dicky eklund ward knocks down sugar ray leonard the fighter real. Lost lives in lowell which showed his fall from boxing grace because of his addiction to crack cocaine. Micky mark wahlberg is a welterweight boxer managed by his mother alice melissa leo and trained by his more successful halfbrother dicky christian bale.
Based on the story of micky ward, a fledgling boxer who tries to escape the shadow of his more famous but troubled older boxing brother and get his own shot at greatness. Dec 20, 2010 well, now the 1995 hbo documentary high on crack street. Dec 26, 2010 but as the movie makes clear, the really bruising hits in ward s life come from outside of the ring, as he watches crack cocaine addiction hollow out his boxing role model, eklund, eight years. Ward is widely known for his trilogy of fights with arturo gatti, two of which received fight of the. The fighter, is a drama about boxer irish micky wards unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. Jan 07, 2010 the fighter, a film starring mark wahlberg and christian bale that chronicles the lives of former professional boxers irish micky ward and his older brother dickie eklund, is scheduled to. Crack cocaine makes a paris neighborhood hell for users and residents five squalid acres at the edge of the city are home to frances largest openair crack market an apocalyptic. Dec 10, 2010 micky ward wahlberg must overcome not just obstacles in the ring, but the overshadowing presence of dickie christian bale and the overbearing management of his mother melissa leo. They had a falling out, but they made up and ward went on to win his first 14 professional bouts. Lost lives in lowell, which features dicky eklunds struggle with crack cocaine and also figures into the fighter as well is available. The brothers were a team as ward became an undefeated 140pound welterweight, taking down 14.
Jan 01, 2011 the fighter 2010 movie brother of micky ward did he knock down sugar ray leonard richard dicky eklund born january 1, 1958 is a former welterweight boxer from the mill city of lowell. But as the movie makes clear, the really bruising hits in wards life come from outside of the ring, as he watches crack cocaine addiction hollow out his boxing role model, eklund, eight years. Dont miss remarkable micky ward story in the fighter. Lost lives in lowell is a 1995 american documentary film directed by richard farrell, maryann deleo and jon alpert. Dicky eklund, the former boxing champ christian bale portrays with. Can you imagine being trained by a man on crack cocaine.
The image, above, is a screenshot from the interview. Ward s biography, written by bob halloran and entitled irish thunder. When pure, it will have a gummy texture but becomes brittle and hard as it mixes with the substance used to manufacture crack, either ammonia or liquefied baking soda. Mickys achievement of the wbu intercontinental light welterweight title in 2000 is a ragstoriches story second to none. Guest blogger eoin cannon reported on mickey ward and dick. Micky orleans ward signed special photo edit the fighter. Wahlberg, russell pack fighter full of punches mark wahlberg and david o. Crack cocaine is produced in small, hard pellets that look like whitish or yellowish rocks, sometimes with crystalline specks or a sheen to them from the powdered cocaine. His familydicky, micky, seven sisters and halfsisters and parents alice and georgegrew up in lowell at a time when the textile mills had closed down, cocaine. Upon being released, eklund inspired his brother micky ward to return to the ring, helping to lead him to becoming a wbu champion. Hes supposed to be training his brother micky to be a professional boxer, but dicky has less.
His mind, controlled by drugs, led to delusional thinking. It is so named because it makes a cracking or popping sound when heated. Dicky eklund became hooked on crack cocaine, turned to crime and was sent to prison. The documentary takes place about 30 miles northwest of boston in the economically depressed former mill city of lowell. Known as the pride of lowell, he held the usa new england welterweight title twice between 1979 and 1983. It tells the tale of wards relationship with his halfbrother dickie eklund christian bale. Boxing, crack, class, and crisis in the fighter points. He challenged once for the ibf light welterweight title in 1997, and held the wbu light welterweight title in 2000. In the film, micky overcomes the meddling influences of his brother and his mother to realise his full potential and earn his shot at a boxing title. Mar 25, 2011 wahlberg, russell enter ring with the fighter mark wahlberg and david o.
Eklund, 58, of lowell, was played by actor christian. The fighter true story real micky ward, dickie eklund. The majority of european crack cocaine users are located in three citieshamburg, london and paris. Bostons mark wahlberg will portray lowells micky ward in.