Thunder
July 15, 2009
Arturo Gatti was, perhaps more than any other boxer I’ve ever seen, built to create exciting fights. Although he wasn’t entirely devoid of technical proficiency, he made a career out of fighting more sophisticated boxers, so he was often at a perceived disadvantage. He possessed two great equalizers, however, in his dangerous left hook and enormous fighting spirit. Even though he was often behind on the scorecards in some of his most memorable fights, there was always the feeling that if he could land a big punch, or land enough hard punches, he could come back and win. In fact, he often did win, because he fought his heart out every time.
Once it was established that Gatti was a thrilling comeback fighter, it became almost normal to see him lose a few rounds, then begin to rally back. Just when this risked becoming a mundane occurrence, however, a new element was introduced into the mix – the element of human frailty. Arturo was always something of a “bleeder”, and as scar tissue built up around his often-cut eyes, they cut easier and easier. There was always the question of whether or not he would be able to stage a comeback before the fight was stopped, as it was against Angel Manfredy. Likewise, late in his career he twice broke one of his hands during a fight, but rallied back to win on both occasions.
The high drama of an Arturo Gatti fight was one of the finest things in boxing for many years. In a sport where long-anticipated matchups fizzle as often as they pay off, Arturo was a gold standard – if you paid to see him fight, you would get one helluva show, every time. This reputation became more valuable than an undefeated record or a title belt – Gatti was a true “people’s champion” beloved by the fans. He was also well liked by most who knew him in the boxing community, and now that his life has been cut short far too soon, he will be missed by many, many people.
