Who is Charlene Fleming?
If you’ve seen the biographical drama “The Fighter”, starring Mark Wahlberg, you’ll know it’s based on the true story of Micky Ward, a boxer who struggled to find his way out of a life on the streets. In the film, his future wife is portrayed as a waitress at a local bar, and his family is opposed to their relationship.
Many people questioned whether this aspect of his life was true, and who Charlene Fleming is. Let us reveal the untold truth about Micky’s wife.
Early life, family, and education
Charlene Fleming’s exact birthday hasn’t been revealed, but it’s known that she was born in 1976, so her age is 46 as of late-2022. She hails from Boston, Massachusetts USA, thus she holds American nationality, and her ethnicity is Caucasian.
When it comes to her family, nothing is known about them, as Charlene prefers to keep her personal matters away from the public eye. Amy Adams, who played Charlene in “The Fighter”, asked for a meeting with her to get to know her better, and later stated that Charlene told her that her story wasn’t as important as Mickey’s, and only wished that Mickey’s character was presented convincingly.
Speaking of Charlene’s educational background, she attended Douglas County High School in Castle Rock, Colorado, and upon matriculating in 1994, she enrolled at the University of Rhode Island, in Kingston, from which she graduated with a BA degree in 1998.
Career as an athlete
To provide for herself, Charlene was working as a waitress, but her dream was to become a successful athlete. Following her graduation from college, she participated in the 1998 Central Mass All-Class track records competition in the high jump, where she set a record of 5ft 8ins.
Marriage with Micky Ward
Charlene worked as a bartender in the local bar when she met Mickey. It seems that it was love at the first sight, and the two soon began dating. Their love story blossomed into a marriage, and the two tied the knot in 1999; the date of their wedding hasn’t been revealed.
The truth is that his family didn’t like Charlene, and were against their marriage, which Mickey confirmed in one of his interviews after the movie was released. He added that they are still against Charlene, especially his sisters.
Charlene and Mickey have one daughter together named Kasie, but her birthdate is also undisclosed. She has an Instagram account, which is private. The family of three lives in their residence in Lowell, Massachusetts.
How rich are they?
After Mickey retired from boxing, he devoted his time to his business ventures. He’s the owner of a tanning salon and an indoor floor hockey facility, and is also the co-owner of a gym. According to sources, as of late 2022, he has a net worth estimated at over $500,000.
Briefly about Micky Ward
Born George Michael Ward Junior on 4 October 1965, in Lowell, Mickey holds American nationality although he comes from a family of Irish descent, so this is why he got his nickname ‘Irish’ Micky. He was raised alongside his half-brother Dicky Eklund and seven sisters, by their parents Alice and George.
Dicky’s father is Alice’s first husband, and as was shown in “The Fighter”, Dicky was also a boxer, but his drug and alcohol addiction stopped his boxing career. Today, he’s the co-owner of a gym with Mickey, and works with young boys, teaching them boxing.
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Let’s get back on Micke -.hHe was a quiet boy, who unfortunately was sexually abused by his brother’s friend for three years. The man, only known as ‘Hammer’, who was also a boxer, abused him from the time Mickey was nine, and this lasted until Mickey find the courage to stand up for himself. Eventually, Mickey faced Hammer in a boxing match, winning by unanimous decision.
As a teenager, Mickey began training in boxing, and at the age of 20 he turned pro. He won the New England Golden Gloves championship three times, winning 14 fights. In the early ’90s his career leveled off, and after losing four consecutive fights, Mickey took an hiatus from boxing.
He began working for a road-paving crew to support himself and his family, and a portion of the money he earned was set aside for hand surgery. Several fights had caused him problems with his right hand, so doctors used a piece of bone from Mickey’s pelvis to strengthen and fuse the bones in his arm.
After he recovered, Mickey get back to boxing, and was more than successful, winning the first nine fights, and in 2000 The World Boxing Union International Light Welterweight Title against Shea Neary.
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Fights with Gatti, the brutal boxing trilogy
Mickey’s boxing career is largely related to his fights against Arturo Gatti, an Italian-Canadian professional boxer. Their first fight, which Mickey won after nine rounds, was named the 2002 Ring magazine Fight of the Year, after which both Mickey and Arturo needed care in a trauma center.
The two had a rematch in November of that same year, and this time Arturo won knocking Mickey down in the third round. Their third fight held in 2003 was also named The Fight of the Year by the Ring Magazine, and they again were sent to hospital after the fight, and this time Arturo won via a unanimous decision.
Mark Wahlberg stated for Entertainment Weekly that he would love to make the sequel of “The Fighter”, which would be mostly related to Mickey’s trilogy fight against Arturo Gatti. The first movie had 123 award nominations and won 74, including two Oscars – Christian Bale won for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Dicky, while Melissa Leo won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for playing Mickey and Dicky’s mother, Alice.
Mickey quit boxing in 2005, and continued living in his hometown with his wife and daughter.
