The son of Montreal-born boxing legend Arturo Gatti has died in Mexico at the age of 17, more than 16 years after his father’s mysterious death in Brazil.
Arturo Gatti Jr. was reportedly found dead Tuesday in an apartment in Mexico. The news was first shared by Gatti Sr.’s longtime friend and former bodyguard, Chuck Zito. He wrote on social media: “It’s with a heavy heart that I have to say, R.I.P. to 17-year-old Arturo Gatti Jr., who was found hanging in an apartment in Mexico yesterday. The same way they found his father dead in an apartment in Brazil 16 years ago.”
“My condolences to Arturo Gatti seniors — mom, sisters, brothers, and his daughter Sophia,” Zito added.
Moe Latif, his longtime coach, also confirmed the death online, writing: “It is unfortunately not a rumour or a joke. Arturo is gone.”
Just a week before his death, Gatti Jr. had reposted a photo of himself with a friend in Cancún. That same friend shared the image again on Wednesday, writing: “RIP lil bro.”
Born in Montreal in 2008, Gatti Jr. had been living with his mother, Amanda Rodrigues, according to Le Journal de Montréal, and had begun following in his father’s footsteps as a promising young boxer.
His father was one of Montreal’s most celebrated athletes. A two-weight world champion, his trilogy of fights against American Micky Ward is considered among the greatest in boxing history.
In 2009, Gatti Sr. was found dead while vacationing in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, with wife Rodrigues and their son. Gatti Jr. was just 10-month-old. His body was discovered on the floor of a rented condominium with head injuries and marks consistent with strangulation, according to media reports at the time.
Brazilian police initially suspected Rodrigues of murder after finding the body, but an autopsy later indicated Gatti Sr. had been suspended off the ground for several hours before his death. Authorities ultimately ruled it a suicide. Rodrigues was later released and cleared of wrongdoing.
As news of Gatti Jr.’s death spread on Wednesday, tributes poured in from the boxing world.
Former world light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal wrote: “Sixteen years after losing his father, the world loses another Gatti. The son of a legendary fighter, one legacy. Both gone too soon. May they reunite in peace. My heart is heavy; life can be unfair sometimes.”
Police in Mexico have not yet released details about the circumstances surrounding Gatti Jr.’s death.
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