CALL ME CYNICAL, but this doesn't seem like your typical, run-of-the-mill "ex-boxer gets strangled to death at a Brazilian resort by his wife using the strap of her handbag" story. Yet according to police, that's exactly how Arturo Gatti, the 37-year-old former world champion, was killed over the weekend.
Gatti moved to Jersey City from Montreal in 1991, and earned his nickname "Thunder" fighting in nearby Atlantic City. His career record of 40-9 included 31 knockouts -- with seemingly all of them on HBO! His three 10-round battles with Micky Ward for the junior welterweight crown from 2002-03 were legendary fights. Gatti was the definition of a fearless brawler -- willing to trade 5 of his blows for 10 of yours anytime -- which made the match-ups with a fellow high-motor puncher like Ward so intriguing.
The first report I saw, from the Daily News Saturday, did not mention the wife, 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues, as a subject of investigation, but did state that the police suspected foul play upon discovering his blood-spattered body around 6am Saturday; after all, it's not like you can chalk this case up to natural causes. By Monday Rodrigues was the only suspect, with reports that she may have bludgeoned Gatti before strangling him. The couple were in Brazil on a second honeymoon, and leave behind a 10-month-old boy in the wake of this brutal slaying.
Ironically, Gatti -- who retired two years ago -- was scheduled to provide testimony this week in New York for a lawsuit filed against the New York State Athletic Commission by a former opponent. Joey Gamache, knocked out in 2000, alleges Gatti outweighed him by almost 20 pounds at the time of the fight. Hopefully, the inevitable Lifetime TV movie will tie up all these loose ends.
2 comments:
saw him a couple of times, dam entertaining fighter
I figured you saw him a few times. Never took a round off, gave as much as he took, which was a lot! But to survive the ring battles and go out like this? Fucking crazy!
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