Tony Demarco Welterweight Champion Boxing

A-Ward packs a punch

“No I don’t have to get punched anymore, this is great,” Ward said. “But I’m still the same guy from Lowell. I’m not changing anything. Honestly this is all great and I’m doing a lot of traveling and motivational stuff and things like that, but inside I’m still me.”

Ward is just the second boxer to be honored at the Tradition. The other is former welterweight champion Tony DeMarco, a North End native who reigned during boxing’s golden decade of the 1950s.

Although their place in boxing is separated by two generations and their ancestors came from opposite ends of Europe, Ward and DeMarco experienced nearly identical careers. DeMarco joined Ward inside the reincarnation of a building he routinely sold out during his peak years as a fighter.

“Tony is a very good friend, a great guy, a tough guy and one hell of a fighter,” Ward said. “I’m so happy just to be spoken in the same breath as Tony DeMarco. He is a guy I know should be inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. He was a champ when there were only eight champs.”

Ward won the WBU light welterweight crown by stopping Shea Neary in London in 2000. Ward’s 10-round decision over Emanuel Barton was Ring Magazine’s 2001 Fight of the Year. But his legacy was cemented by a trilogy with Arturo Gatti, the late Canadian boxer-puncher with a threshold for pain equal to that of Ward.

In the first bout against Gatti, Ward won by majority decision. Gatti took the next two on the scorecards.

Ward and Gatti engaged in Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year in both 2002 and 2003, leaving Ward as the only boxer to be involved in three straight fights of the year.

“They don’t come any tougher than Micky Ward, he fights hard with a lot of action and good combinations,” DeMarco said. “I think Micky Ward would have been good in any era. There are individuals in boxing linked with each decade and Micky Ward had his decade.”

Added Ward: “You’ve got to have a great dance partner and we were made for each other just like (Carmen) Basilio and DeMarco. You can be a great fighter but you have to have a great partner. Tony had his and I had mine (in Gatti).

Tony DeMarco Biography | IBRO

NARDO: Memoirs of a Boxing Champion

Nardo is the story of an Italian kid from Boston’s North End, and his rise through the boxing ranks to eventually become World Champ during the Golden Era of boxing.

Written in his own words, Tony DeMarco shares his life story with honesty and humor. He touches upon the triumphs and tragedies that shaped him as an individual, giving you a glimpse into the life of one of Boston’s most beloved sports figures.

From his humble beginning in the streets of the famous North End, to his amateur days and professional career as a world class boxer, to his days as a nightclub owner in Arizona and finally through some personal family issues, Tony’s life took a series of twists and turns. Ultimately he won the battles and, to this day, is an icon in not only Boston, but in the boxing world.

Along with his life story, Tony has chosen to share many photos from his personal archive, giving you a true snapshot into the life and times of Tony DeMarco, Welterweight Champion of the World.

“The Book is a knockout. Both Tony and Rocky had so much in common-especially heart” - Joe DeNucci , Former Middleweight Contender, Former State Auditor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts