Boxing legend Arturo Gatti was found dead in his hotel room in Brazil late on Saturday night. This came as a huge shock to the boxing community, as such an early death was completely unexpected.
Who Was Arturo Gatti?
Arturo Gatti in his early days was a very skilled amateur boxer. He was invited to represent Canada at the 1992 Olympics, but he declined, deciding to move into the professional ranks instead.
It was here that he made his name. It took Gatti four years to win his first proper World Title in the pro game, defeating Tracy Harris Patterson very narrowly to take the IBF Super Featherweight Title. He defended this belt successfully several times before vacating it to move up to lightweight.
However, he had already etched his name in the hearts of boxing fans. While he held the belt, he had three Ring Magazine 'Fight of the Year' candidates, building up his reputation massively. This form had also earned him a multi fight deal with American broadcaster HBO, a massive coup for any fighter.
His move up to lightweight was not his greatest idea though. In 1998, he lost all three of his fights; one via TKO in the eighth round and two more to Ivan Robinson by points. However, to his credit he did earn 'Fight of the Year' for the second consecutive time as his first fight against Robinson was a thriller.
The next notable fight in Gatti's career was where he went up in weight to fight the infamous 'Golden Boy' Oscar De La Hoya in 2002. Unfortunately, he came unstuck again, getting stopped in five rounds, but the best of Gatti was still to come.
The Gatti vs. Ward Trilogy
His trilogy against Micky Ward was the stuff of legend. He lost the first fight against Ward, but won the second, despite breaking his hand during the fight. In their rubber match, Gatti won by unanimous decision, therefore winning one of the most exciting boxing trilogies in history.
Their first fight won Ring Magazine 'Fight Of The Year', and their third also won the award the next year. For Gatti to win this prestigious award so many times was a testament to his exciting fighting style and popularity, and this is one reason why he will be so sorely missed.
What Gatti Did After The Ward Fights
After these fights, Gatti's career went up and down. He did win the WBC Lightweight Title, fighting through a broken hand once again to win the belt. However, at the very top level he was defeated, as his corner had to throw in the towel in his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The final fight in his career came on July 14th 2007 against 'the Contender' participant Alfonso Gomez. The fire of the old Gatti was obviously gone and after getting knocked out in the seventh round, he announced his retirement. He retired with a professional record of 40-9 with 31 wins coming by way of knockout.
What Gatti Did After Finishing Boxing?
Unfortunately, due to his untimely death, Gatti never got chance to enjoy his retirement. In March of this year, he was charged for assaulting his wife, but never turned up in court for the first hearing. Eventually, he did show up, and was ordered to stay at least 200 metres away from his wife.
It appears Gatti gave it another go with his wife Amanda Rodrigues though as at the time of his death, he was on holiday with her and their one year old son. It has now been noted by the police that Gatti took his own life.
Will Boxing Miss Arturo Gatti?
In one word, yes. Micky Ward has already stated that he feels a part of him is missing now, and many others around Gatti have expressed their disbelief of his death as well.
While he never had the talent to mix it up at the very top level, in the generations to come, there won't be many fighters who have the guts and determination of the Canadian. The boxing world has lost a true legend in Arturo Gatti. Fans hope his name is remembered for a long time.
