The Measure of a Fighter \u2014 The Life and Career of Arturo \u201cThunder\u201d Gatti<\/p>\n
Arturo Gatti (April 15, 1972 \u2013 July 11, 2009) was an Italian-born, Canadian-raised professional prizefighter whose career spanned from 1991 to 2007. Over that time, he became a two-division world champion and a consistent presence in many of boxing\u2019s most closely followed fights.<\/p>\n
Arturo was born in Cassino, Italy to Giovanni and Ida (Di Paolo) Gatti. The family moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where Arturo was raised and would begin his development in the sport of boxing. He turned professional in 1991 and built his experience in the ring, progressing through steady competition. Early in his career, Gatti established a style centered on pressure and engagement. While he had the skills to box, he preferred to mix it up, which endeared him to fans.<\/p>\n
Gatti rode a seventeen fight win streak (including fifteen knockouts) into his first title fight on December 15, 1995, when he challenged Tracy Patterson for the 135 pound title. Patterson came into that bout sporting a 54-3-1 record. Gatti won the fight by decision with scores of 116-111, 115-112 and 114-113, capturing his first world championship. Some fourteen months later, they met again, this time with Gatti winning by a wider margin of 118-108, 117-109 and 116-110. Gatti successfully defended the title in a notable bout against Wilson Rodriguez in which he recovered from a knockdown to win by stoppage. However, his two fights against Ivan Robinson resulted in losses, reflecting the depth of competition in the division.<\/p>\n
Between 2002 and 2003, Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward took a page out of the Floyd Patterson vs Ingemar Johansson<\/a> playbook by fighting each other in three consecutive fights. The first fight<\/a>, held in May 2002, was competitive throughout and is particularly noted for a ninth round featuring sustained exchanges from both fighters. Emanual Steward, who was part of the broadcast crew that included Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant, called it the round of the century, with the fighters landing over 100 power punches (everything but the jab) during the 180 seconds. Ward won the bout by decision. Gatti made adjustments in the rematch and the third fight, relying more on structure and control, and won both contests by decision to take the series two fights to one.<\/p>\n In 2004, Gatti moved up in weight and defeated Gianluca Branco to win the WBC super lightweight title, becoming a two-division champion. During this stage of his career, he was a regular attraction in Atlantic City, where his fights consistently drew strong attendance. In 2005, he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a welterweight bout. Mayweather controlled the contest and won by technical knockout in the sixth round.<\/p>\n Gatti continued to compete until 2007, when he retired following a stoppage loss to Alfonso Gomez. He concluded his professional career with a record of 40 wins and 9 losses, with 31 wins coming by way of stoppage.<\/p>\n Outside the ring, Gatti maintained connections to both Canada and the United States, particularly Atlantic City, which served as a central location for many of his major fights. He died in July 2009 in Brazil at the age of 37, two years after his last appearance in the ring. The circumstances surrounding his death were initially ruled a homicide before later being reclassified as suicide.<\/p>\n Over the years, Ward and Gatti had developed a close friendship. Ward strongly rejected the initial findings regarding Gatti\u2019s death and said he would never believe that Gatti took his own life. Ward was devastated, stating that he lost a \u201cbrother\u201d, \u201cmy best friend\u201d and that part of himself had died too.<\/p>\n In recognition of his career, Gatti was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012. He is remembered as a two-division world champion whose fights reliably delivered action and drew sustained interest from fans and observers alike.<\/p>\n