Boxer Arturo Gatti Found Dead in Brazilian Hotel

Foul Play Suspected

Lynda Altman
Lynda Altman, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Jul 11, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
Boxer Arturo Gatti was found dead in his hotel room in Porto de Galihnas, Brazil on Saturday, July 11. Authorities have not released many details; however they say the situation is suspicious. Gatti was in Brazil with his wife and one year old son. Speculation reins over the cause of Arturo Gatti's death.

The ChicagoTribune.com reports that boxer Acelino "Popo" Freitas claiming to be a close friend of the Gatti's states that Arturo and his wife were having marital difficulties and were talking of separating. There are no other reports to substantiate this claim.

So what really happened to Arturo Gatti? Why was his life cut short at the age of 37? For now all we know is that his body was found on July 11, 2009 in his hotel room. He was in his underwear and blood was found on his back and neck. It could have been the result of a fall or it could have been foul play. So far his death is only classified as suspicious. Gatti was scheduled to testify in a trial in involving the New York State Athletic Commission and boxer Joey Gamache.

Watching Arturo Gatti fight was always entertaining. One could count on him to put on a great display, no matter if he won or lost. Gatti was a talented fighter and a crowd pleaser. He is best known for his three fights against Micky Ward. Ring Magazine deemed two of these fights as the "fight of the year". His final fight was a welterweight match against Alfonso Gomez in 2007. After losing the bout, Gatti retired from boxing. His professional record was extremely impressive with 40 wins, 9 losses and 31 knockouts, for a career total of 253 rounds of boxing.

Arturo "Thunder "Gatti was born in Italy, on April 15, 1972. He was a citizen of Canada. His first IBF title was won against Tracy Harris Patterson in 1995. This was in the 130 lb weight class. After his retirement in 2007, he resided in New Jersey. Pat Lynch was his manager.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the Gatti family. His death came as a shock to the entire world. He will be missed by his fans, his family and the boxing community. Arturo Gatti's death is a tragedy. Hopefully this situation will be resolved quickly.

sources:
http://www.boxrec.com
Chicago Tribune Online

Published by Lynda Altman

Lynda Altman is a freelance writer, blogger and researcher. Her experience includes published print articles in Family Chronicle Magazine, writing and researching for private clients, and writing online cont...  View profile

  • Arturo Gattin was found dead in his Brazilian hotel room.
  • He was scheduled to testify in a trial in New York.
  • Arturro Gatti was a resident of New Jersey.
Perhaps his death has something to do with being scheduled to testify in a trial brough against the New York State Athletic Commission by boxer Joey Gamache.

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