Arturo Gatti

On December 15, 1995, Gatti challenged the IBF super featherweight Champion Tracy Harris Patterson, Floyd Patterson's adoptive son. Gatti became world champion when he narrowly outpointed Patterson (scoring: 116–111, 115–112, 114–113) and signed a multi-fight deal with HBO to fight on HBO Boxing.[12]

He only had two fights in 1996, once defending his world title. His title defense, at Madison Square Garden against Dominican Wilson Rodriguez was the first of three Gatti fights in a row to be named a candidate for "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine. Dropped in round two and with his right eye closing fast, Gatti knocked Rodriguez down in round five with a left hook to the body, before finishing him off in round six to retain the title.[12]

In 1997, he again won a points victory over Patterson, but this time by a larger margin (118–108, 117–109, 116–110).[13][14] He then scored a technical knockout over former world champion Calvin Grove in the seventh round of a non-title affair. Then came his defense against former world champion Gabriel Ruelas, which was also named "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine. Rocked by a left uppercut in the fourth, Gatti absorbed more than 15 consecutive punches before being saved by the bell. In the fifth, he connected on a left hook to knock Ruelas out.[15][16]

After that fight, Gatti relinquished the world title, going up in weight to the lightweight division. However, 1998 was a bad year for Gatti, as he lost all three of his fights that year. He lost by a technical knockout in round eight to Angel Manfredy, and then lost a pair of close 10-round decisions to Ivan Robinson, the first by split decision, the second by unanimous. In Gatti-Robinson II, Gatti had a point deducted in the eighth round for low blows. Had the point not been deducted, the fight would have been a draw, as Robinson was only ahead by one point on two scorecards. Gatti-Robinson I was chosen "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine, thus marking the second year in a row that a Gatti fight was given that award and the third year in a row a Gatti fight was nominated.[17]

He only had one fight in 1999, knocking out Reyes Munoz in round one.[11]

Gatti's first fight of 2000 proved to be controversial. Faced with former world champion Joey Gamache, Gatti won by a knockout in round two. A subsequent lawsuit by Gamache's handlers claimed Gatti had gained 19 pounds since the weigh-in the day before and thus had a large advantage over Gamache.[18] In the wake of the fight, boxing regulators pushed for a new law limiting the amount of weight a competitor can gain between the weigh-in and time of the fight. Gatti was also accused by Gamache's handlers of not having actually made the contracted weight of 141 pounds. After Gatti-Gamache, some boxing commissions started weighing boxers a second time.[15]

Gatti also won his two other fights that year, against Eric Jukabuwski and Joe Hutchinson.[11]

Gatti at the post-fight press conference on June 7, 2003

In 2001, Gatti only had one fight, going up in weight to meet welterweight Oscar De La Hoya, who beat him by a technical knockout in five rounds.[19] In 2002, Gatti returned to the light welterweight division and defeated former world champion Terronn Millett by a knockout in round four.[12]

He then split two ten-round decisions with "Irish" Micky Ward, losing their first bout, but winning their second. Gatti-Ward I also earned "Fight of the Year" honors by Ring Magazine, and the 9th round was called the Round of the Century by Emanuel Steward.[20][21]

On June 7, 2003, he and Ward had a rubber match. Gatti broke his twice-repaired right hand when he struck Ward's hip bone with an attempted body shot in the fourth, and he dropped his arm. In the sixth, Gatti dominated the round, but got caught with an overhand to the top of the head a second before the bell rang and went down. The final scorecards read, 96–93, 96–93 and 97–92, in favor of Gatti. The third fight between the two was again named "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine.[22][23][24]

Gatti vs Ward I & III are also part of HBO's 10 best fights of the decade.[25]

On January 24, 2004, Gatti, having recovered from a broken hand, scored a tenth round knock-down and defeated Gianluca Branco of Italy by a 12-round unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC light welterweight title.[26][27][28]

On July 24, 2004, he knocked out the previously unbeaten former world champion Leonard Dorin Doroftei in two rounds at Atlantic City, to retain his title.[29]

Gatti's second defense of his WBC title came against former WBC super featherweight Champion Jesse James Leija on January 29, 2005. Gatti beat Leija by a fifth-round knockout. That same night, Arturo's protégé, Danny "Little Mac" McDermott, won his pro debut.[30]

In his next fight, Gatti fought former super featherweight and lightweight world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. on June 25, 2005. He took a horrific beating and Gatti's corner man threw in the towel after he was beaten around the ring, thus ending his title reign via sixth-round technical knockout.[31]

After the loss to Mayweather, Gatti moved up to the welterweight division. He beat Thomas Damgaard on January 28, 2006, by an eleventh-round technical knockout to win the vacant IBA welterweight title and become a champion in 3 different weight divisions.[32]

On July 22, 2006, Gatti lost by a TKO to Carlos Baldomir, vying for the WBC & The Ring welterweight championship.[33] He then broke off his relationship with Buddy McGirt and had a new trainer in Micky Ward.[34]

Gatti attempted a comeback on July 14, 2007, against Alfonso Gomez, only to get TKO'd by Gomez. After the fight, Gatti announced his retirement in the dressing room, reportedly quipping: "I'm coming back — as a spectator."[35][36]

On July 11, 2009, Gatti was found dead in a hotel in Ipojuca, Pernambuco, Brazil, where he was on holiday with his Brazilian wife, Amanda Rodrigues, and their 10-month-old son.[4][9][39] He was 37 years old. Gatti was to attend his sister's wedding the same day. Gatti's widow was charged with first degree murder after the Brazilian investigator concluded she changed her story several times about how events transpired both the previous night and that morning. The investigator also concluded that it was impossible for Gatti's body to have landed in the position where it was found, under the kitchen counter, after it fell from being hung from the side of a set of stairs. According to Gatti's wife, a strap from her bag was used by Gatti to hang himself, resulting in part of the strap being stained with blood.[40] Rodrigues could not explain how she spent more than 10 hours in the hotel room without realising Gatti was dead. Former boxing champion Acelino Freitas, who was a close friend of Gatti, stated Gatti and Rodrigues were having marital problems. Rodrigues had already filed for separation before their trip to Brazil, yet convinced her husband to go on the trip under the guise of a last ditch attempt to save the marriage. [41] The Brazilian authorities initially ruled Gatti's death a homicide, but after the coroner's autopsy report was released, they declared it was a suicide, and his widow was set free.[42] On July 31, 2009, it was announced that the Canadian government would be seeking more information from the Brazilian authorities on Gatti's death. Gatti's family confirmed that there would be a second autopsy done in Quebec.[43][44][45] On August 1, a pathologist hired by the ex-boxing champ's family said Brazilian authorities overlooked bruises on Gatti's body in the initial autopsy. "There were definite injuries that had not been seen by Brazilian authorities," Baden said.[46] Almost a year later, in March 2010, the circumstances concerning Gatti's death remained unclear.[47]

At the family's request, a Quebec coroner agreed to exhume the body so that two pathologists could conduct a second autopsy. Coroner Jean Brochu said, "We've been waiting for this for a long time," and "it's going to take a while" before conclusions can be made, and released to the public.[47] A shortage of staff at the coroner's office was blamed for contributing to the delay of the investigation.[47] Regarding a new toxicology report being prepared, Brochu quipped that it "may take a century to get the results."[47]

The Quebec coroner's report was released in November 2011. Brochu agreed with prior conclusions that Gatti died a violent death from asphyxia by neck constriction. He also noted that Gatti had carisoprodol, a muscle relaxant, in his system, along with alcohol. An expert toxicologist from Quebec retained by the coroner said the drug can produce withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, confusion and psychosis. The coroner also stated that "obvious presence of post-mortem lividity" indicated that the body had been suspended for some time before ending up on the floor. Two independent private investigators from the States hired by Gatti's family proved it was impossible that Gatti's body would have been found in the place and position it was in if he indeed had hung himself. They believe his wife had an accomplice to assist with murdering Gatti. Motive was Gatti's fortune, which Rodrigues inherited since she was able to coerce Gatti to void their prenuptial agreement three weeks prior to his death. Rodrigues threatened to leave Gatti and take their son with her, moving to Brazil if Gatti did not write a Will leaving his fortune to Rodrigues. After all the new findings, information, and facts were gathered and presented by independent, outside agencies from Canada and the U.S., Brazilian authorities again concluded Gatti's death was a suicide, and closed the case.[48]