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R.I.P. Champ, you are gone but not forgotten....
April 15, 1972 - July 11, 2009
WBC Light Welterweight champion (January 24, 2004)
IBF Super Featherweight (December 15, 1995)
Final Stats: 40-9, 31 KOs
~~ A courageous Ida Gatti as she exits the church
where Arturo's services were held ~~
 "NIGHT
OF THUNDER: A TRIBUTE TO ARTURO GATTI" SATURDAY, SEPT. 19th
Bally's Atlantic City presents "Night of Thunder: A Tribute to Arturo
Gatti" in association with Main Events and Pat Lynch Boxing. Teon
Kennedy, 13-0, 5 KO’s of Philadelphia, PA, takes on Lante Addy, 6-4, 4
KO’s of Accra, Ghana, in the main event of what promises to be a great
evening of local boxing talent on Saturday, Sept. 19th.
Arturo Gatti fought in association with Bally’s so many times everyone
involved felt it would be appropriate to honor his memory here. In true
Gatti style, the card will be packed with local favorites. Teon Kennedy
was the 2004 National Golden Gloves Flyweight Champion, 2X PA Golden
Gloves Champion and is widely considered the best super bantamweight
fighter on the east coast. Lante Addy is the former WBO Intercontinental
Bantamweight Champion and is currently the West African Bantamweight
Champion
The event will be at Bally’s Atlantic City. Tickets go on sale Monday
August 24th. Ticket prices $75 & $50. Available through Ticketmaster
800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. Doors open at 7pm, first
bout at 7:30pm.
CHUVALO DOUBTS SUICIDE CLAIMS... by Steve Simmons
MANY QUESTIONS
"How could that be a suicide with Gatti?" he asks of the Montreal
native. "Didn't he have a stab of some kind in the back of his head?
Didn't he have strangulation marks around his neck? You think he did
that to himself? "How's that make sense?
"This reminds me of that Woodbridge couple murdered in Mexico a couple
of years ago when the police tried to blame everybody else. Rather
than find out who did it, they'd rather it go away.
"You think Arturo Gatti, you think a guy who never ran away from
anything in his life. Why would he want to run away now?"
GATTI'S DEATH A
SUICIDE?
Brazilian investigators have come to the conclusion that two-time
former world champion Arturo "Thunder" Gatti was not murdered. His
death has been ruled a suicide, according to local media reports. Following a court order, the
authorities are in the process of releasing Gatti's wife, Amanda
Rodrigues, who earlier on in the investigation was described as the
only suspect.
Police had said there were inconsistencies in the
statement Ms. Rodrigues gave them and that she had not explained
how she stayed in the hotel room for 10 hours after Gatti died. Those
inconsistencies must have gotten resolved. In her defense, her
attorney, Celio Avelino, said it "would have been impossible for
her to suspend and hang a man of that size."
Police found strangulation marks on Gatti's neck and a blood-stained
purse strap at the scene.
The public safety ministry of the northeastern Pernambuco state said
investigators determined that Gatti hung himself in a stairwell, the
newspaper O Globo reported.
Police official Paulo Alberes said Gatti used the purse strap to end
his life, O Diario de Pernambuco reported.
MAIN EVENTS ARTURO GATTI STATEMENT...
With all due respect to the Brazilian authorities, we knew Arturo Gatti and we
do not believe that he took his own life. Members of Arturo's family, along
with his boxing manager Pat Lynch, are conducting their own investigation into
the circumstances surrounding his death. We believe that once the results of
that investigation are revealed, the truth will come to light and justice will
be done.
Ellen Haley
MAIN EVENTS
Media Relations Mgr.
BAD TIMES... by Aladdin Freeman
Vernon was a great fighter that used his jab to keep opponents at bay. He
had an eraser in his right hand and he used it to send many
fighters packing. The right hand he hit Shane Mosley with in
their first fight after a clash of heads changed Mosley for a
couple of years until he got his confidence back. The thing
with Forrest is though he battled injuries throughout his
career but you didn't really hear him complain much about it.
To me he had everything you wanted in a fighter. Vernon
Forrest had great naturally ability, with the mental fortitude
to put in a game plan and use it to his success. He used all
these skills to make it to 1992 Olympics.
His work
with disabled children outside of the ring was under the
radar but it was outstanding, as he contributed a lot to
society as a whole. This is truly a huge loss for the sport of
boxing as well as the city of Atlanta.
Personally,
I can't wait for the month to end. It's been three big losses
in the sport of boxing in July and the sport needs some good
news to happen soon. I do think there will be some good fights
towards the end of the year but the summer of 2009 for me will
always be remembered for all the wrong things.
MR. NEVER QUIT" ... by Lisa Craddock
"What I admired about Gatti is the fact that I could call him "Mr. Never Quit." Gatti was never done in the ring, he gave his fans everything he had and
regardless of the win or loss, I loved him for it.
"THUNDER" GATTI.. by George Elsasser
The Arturo Gatti "Thunder" sobriquet, unlike nicknames handed to so
many others today, some before having a first professional
fight,
fitted the Italian born Canadian much like a finely
tailored suit.
ARTURO GATTI MEMORIAL MASS SET FOR JULY 30TH IN JERSEY CITY....
Friends and fans of Arturo "Thunder" Gatti are invited to attend a memorial
Mass that will be held in his honor on Thursday evening, July 30th
at 7 p.m. St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic in Jersey City.
"Since it was not possible for so many of Arturo's friends and fans in the
US to attend his funeral this past weekend in Montreal, we think that it is
only right to give them the opportunity to celebrate Arturo's life and pay
their respects next Thursday at St. John's," said Gatti's boxing manager and
mentor, Pat Lynch.
"Arturo was much more to me than a business associate or even a friend,?
said Lynch, who handled Gatti throughout his 17-year professional boxing
career. "I am humbled and honored by the fact that he considered me to be
his second father. I don't know if I will ever get over losing him."
FINAL BELL
SOUNDS FOR FORMER WORLD BOXING CHAMPION ARTURO GATTI... by
Bill Beacon (CP)
Arturo Gatti got one last standing ovation on Monday as his family and the
boxing world paid tribute to the former world champion from Montreal whose
death at a Brazilian resort on July 11 remains a mystery.
An overflow crowd of about 1,000 packed
Notre Dame de la Defense church in a north-end Italian
neighborhood for the funeral of one of the sport's most
spectacular fighters. Gatti was 37 when he died, only two
years after his retirement from the ring.
Among the many active and retired boxers on
hand was (Irish) Mickey Ward, who became friends with Gatti
after their trilogy of classic brawls in 2002 and 2003. He
said Gatti had planned to visit him at his home near Boston
later this month.
FUNERAL SET FOR ARTURO GATTI...
Courtesy of Henry Hascup
A funeral for former boxing champion
Arturo Gatti will be
held Monday in his adopted hometown of Montreal.
Gatti was found dead in the apartment he was renting with wife Amanda
Rodrigues in the Brazilian
seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas last Saturday. A bloody purse
strap was found near his body and police have arrested Rodrigues on
suspicion of strangling the former two-division champion. Autopsy results
have not been released, but police believe Rodrigues acted alone. She
maintains her innocence and was being held in a prison in the northeastern
Brazil city of Recife.
A visitation for Gatti will be Sunday at Maison Funeraire Magnus Poirier in
Montreal, with the
funeral at Notre Dame De La
Defense.
GATTI DEATH MAY BE
MURDER OR SUICIDE, SAYS AUTOPSY...
An autopsy indicates former boxing champion Arturo Gatti
of Montreal could have
committed suicide, been accidentally killed or murdered, according to Jornal do Comercio newspaper Saturday.
Jornal do Comercio said it obtained a copy of the coroner's initial
findings.
Police have said from the beginning they are certain Gatti's
23-year-old wife strangled the boxer with her purse strap as he drunkenly slept
July 11, but the autopsy report raises some doubts.
Gatti was found dead a week ago in the apartment he was renting with
wife Amanda Rodrigues in the Brazilian seaside resort of
Porto de Galinhas in the
northeastern state of Pernambuco.
A visitation for Gatti will be held Sunday in Montreal, with the
funeral service scheduled for Monday morning at Notre Dame De La Defense.
THE GATTI SPIRAL... by Ricky Ray Taylor
So Arturo Gatti is dead. According to the latest reports, Gatti was found strangled
and with a knife
wound to the back of his head. So far the only suspect is his 23-year old
"Scores" stripper wife Amanda Rodriguez and the only witness is their 10-month old
son who was in the apartment with them. As details emerge we get a glimpse of a
violent yet, common lifestyle of yet another once great Boxing Champion.
So it goes, another pugilist who weathered an array of wars inside the ring ~
only to be slain at the hands of life's suffering on the outside. It's very
likely that in this particular murder, Gatti's young fireplug stripping
wife did not truly fathom the overall impact that her husband had in
our sport. (How many 23-year old females actually know this stuff?)
R.I.P.
ARTURO GATTI.. by Bill Stephens
4-15-1972
/ 7-11-2009
The Boxing world has lost another
legend long before his time. Former World Champion Arturo Gatti was
found dead in a beachfront villa while on honeymoon with his wife and
son in Pernambuco Brazil. Arturo Thunder Gatti, 40
(31 KOs), 9 (5 KOs) was one of the most entertaining fighters to watch.
Gatti, a former WBC Light Welterweight Champion,
IBF Super Featherweight Champion, USBA Super Featherweight Champion
brought excitement and charisma to the ring. His most memorable matches
occurred with the heavily hyped Mickey Ward trilogies, which were great
battles for both fighters.
Gatti was born in Montreal, Canada, raised in Italy and resided in
Jersey City, New Jersey during his boxing career. Arturo "Thunder"
Gatti had developed a huge following in the Atlantic City area in which
he fought many great fights at the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Gatti
announced his retirement in 2007 after an unexpected loss to Alfonso
Gomez in Atlantic City.
Gatti was a fighter who had the rare combinations of style, looks,
skill and the commercial appeal to bring excitement in and out of the
ring. Arturo "Thunder" Gatti was a one of a kind
fighter and will be missed throughout the world.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family.
POLICE DETAIN WIFE OF FORMER BOXING CHAMPION ARTURO
GATTI AFTER HIS DEATH IN BRAZIL... by Tales Azzoni
The wife of former
boxing champion Arturo Gatti was detained as a suspect by Brazilian
authorities Sunday following his death at a posh seaside resort.
Police said 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues was taken into custody after
contradictions in her interrogation. Gatti's body was found early
Saturday in a hotel room at the Porto de Galinhas resort in
northeastern Brazil.
GATTI'S WIFE CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE
MURDER.... by Katherine Wilton and Monique Muise, TG
The
23-year-old wife of famed Montreal boxer Arturo Gatti is facing
first-degree murder charges after her husband's lifeless body was
discovered in a hotel room over the weekend.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We hereby invite all boxing fans to pay their respect to
Arturo "Thunder" Gatti, one of the most courageous fighters who ever stepped in a ring.
Just send an email to
brcinmiami@aol.com
and we will make every attempt to have all the emails
delivered to Gatti's family in Canada.
So, if you are a Gatti fan, or simply a boxing enthusiast, please send your
condolences via email to
brcinmiami@aol.com. Thank you, and may Arturo Gatti rest in peace.
For Fight Recaps between January and May 2009, click here...
Fight Recaps Part I
(January-May 2009)
For Fight Recaps starting June 2009, click here...
Fight Recaps Part
II
(June-December 2009)
Questions? Comments? Post them in BRC's new Message Board...
7-20-2009 |
