Arturo Gatti Tragically Dead at 37

By Boxing News - 07/11/2009 - Comments

gatti43232By Mike Burnell: The boxing world suffered another crushing blow today. Ring warrior and box office hero Arturo Gatti was found dead in his hotel room in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil at approximately six o’clock this morning. He was found in his underwear by his wife and one year old child with blood stains on his neck and on the back of his head. The CBC reports that foul play is strongly suspected.

Arturo Gatti is what every fighter who has ever laced on a glove aspires to be, without exception. Gatti embodies an absolute indelible will to win with absolutely no regard to long term health, facial fractures, or long term plans. Arturo stepped into the ring with one mindset; I can out-tough you. He was a limited and flawed fighter who overachieved through his legendary will and determination. This manifested itself in unforgettable fashion with his unforgettable, historic trilogy with tough New England fighter Mickey Ward among other unforgettable, dramatic bouts that make Rocky movies pale in comparison.

It is through this that Gatti was able to develop huge masses of die hard fans that purchased tickets to his fights as quickly as they could be printed. Metaphorically speaking Gatti was a “high school graduate” i.e. he had to fight and claw his way to the top as opposed to ‘college graduates’ (spoiled Olympians, inflated contracts for runners etc…) this is exactly why we all love him. He is like many of us who experience similar challenges in our landscape at work or in life in general. The good guy doesn’t always win.

Gatti was scheduled to testify in a lawsuit charging negligence by the NYSAC. It is regarding the weigh in in February 2000 when Gatti somehow made weight but on fight night he was 19 pounds heavier than the much smaller framed Gamache. Joey suffered substantial brain trauma and subsequently was forced to retire. Ever the gentleman Gamache said “I feel sad. He did a lot for boxing….He had a lot of memorable fights. People will never forget what he did for boxing”

Most of us who have spent our lives in and around the ring will always have a very special appreciation for what he accomplished.

May God bless Arturo and watch over his family in his absence.



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