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Arturo Gatti, who has been murdered aged 37, may not have been the most talented boxer in the world, but few others have captured the hearts and ad...
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Arturo Gatti, who has been murdered aged 37, may not have been the most talented boxer in the world, but few others have captured the hearts and admiration of so many fans of the sport.
The Italian-born Canadian's all-action style and indomitable spirit made him hugely popular, and the former world light-welterweight and super-featherweight champion will forever be remembered for his epic trilogy of fights with the American "Irish" Micky Ward.
These rip-roaring encounters spread over a 13-month period in 2002-03 provided 30 rounds of some of the most compelling and savage ring action in recent years.
Ward won their first encounter at Uncasville, Connecticut, on a majority decision after a point deducted from Gatti for a low blow proved crucial.
"The guy must be made of granite," a battered Ward said afterwards. "What's he got in his head? My hands are killing me."
The ninth round of a contest that Ring magazine subsequently named "fight of the year" saw Gatti floored by a body shot which appeared to have broken the Canadian virtually in half.
Although Gatti somehow hauled himself upright, Ward came in for the kill only to be rocked by a series of furious counter-attacks by a fighter, nicknamed "Thunder", who moments earlier had seemed out on his feet.
Gatti gained his revenge when the pair met again six months later. Although his points triumph in Atlantic City in November 2002 lacked the intensity of their first meeting, Gatti's underrated boxing skills showed that he was no mere slugger as, boxing superbly behind his jab and showing sound defence, he seized the initiative and maintained control of the fight.
Moreover, he won despite a broken right hand sustained when Ward was floored heavily in the third.
Their final fight again at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, in June 2003 saw Gatti conclusively prove his superiority with a unanimous decision, following another no-holds-barred encounter in which both men suffered broken right hands and the Canadian was forced to overcome a sixth-round knock-down. The 37-year-old Ward left the ring on a stretcher and never fought again.
Arturo Gatti was born in Calabria, Italy, on April 15 1972, later emigrating to Montreal with his family.
Having taken up boxing at the age of eight, he seemed destined to represent his adopted country at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before electing to turn professional at the age of 19.
His reputation bolstered by regular appearances on HBO's Boxing After Dark series, the crowd-pleasing fighter's progress through the paid ranks was swift. In December 1995 Gatti outpointed the American Tracy Harris Patterson at New York's Madison Square Garden to claim the International Boxing Federation super-featherweight title.
He defended the belt three times before relinquishing the crown to move up to the 135lb lightweight division.
Although Gatti's career stalled following losses to Angel Manfredy, Ivan Robinson and Oscar De La Hoya, the three fights against Ward restored his reputation; and in January 2004 he won the World Boxing Council light-welterweight title by outpointing Italy's Gianluca Branco at Atlantic City.
He made two successful defences before being crushed inside six rounds by the outstanding Floyd Mayweather Jnr at Atlantic City in June 2005.
Gatti fought three more times, but after being stopped in seven rounds by Alfonzo Gomez at Atlantic City in July 2007 (having taken on his old foe Ward as trainer) he decided to retire. He won 40 of his 49 fights, losing the other nine.
Although rumours of a comeback abounded, Gatti began a career in real estate, apparently set up for life through his ring earnings.
On July 11 he was found dead at a hotel in the Brazilian resort of Porto de Galinhas, where he had gone for a "second honeymoon" with his wife, Amanda Rodrigues, 23.
