Kellie
07-12-2009, 07:13 AM
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Former boxing champion Arturo Gatti, considered one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, has been found dead in a hotel room.
Gatti was on his second honeymoon with his wife and baby son when his blood-spattered body was discovered in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas early on Saturday.
Police investigator Edilson Alves told The Associated Press that the body of the former junior welterweight champ was found in his room at the tourist resort, where Gatti had arrived on Friday with his Brazilian wife Amanda and 10-month-old son.
Alves said police were investigating and it was unclear how the 37-year-old Canadian died.
However, Gatti was found to have blood stains on the back of his head and neck and foul play is suspected, according to Canada's CBC News.
"It is still too early to say anything concrete, although it is all very strange," Alves said.
He declined to provide any additional details.
A spokeswoman for the state public safety department said Gatti's wife and son were unhurt. The woman declined to give a name in keeping with department policy.
"There were no bullet or stab wounds on his body, but police did find blood stains on the floor," she said.
Brazilian boxer and four-time world champion Acelino "Popo" Freitas told the G1 website of Brazil's largest TV network Globo that he was a close friend of Gatti and his wife, and that he "knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate".
Known for his straightforward punching and granite-like chin, Gatti captured the junior welterweight title in 1995, when he defeated Tracy Harris Patterson in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
His brawling style and natural charisma made him a fan favourite, and he became one of New Jersey's adopted sons while fighting some of his most memorable battles on the Boardwalk.
Gatti continued to keep a home in New Jersey after he retired in 2007, with a career record of 40-9 and 31 knockouts.
"His entire boxing career he fought with us, we've known him since he was 17," Kathy Duva of promoter Main Events told The Associated Press.
"It's just an unspeakable tragedy. I can't even find words. It's a horror."
Gatti defended his title three times before moving up in weight and getting stopped by Angel Manfredy in 1997. He lost twice more before running off four straight wins, setting up a big payday against Oscar De La Hoya.
Although Gatti was knocked out in the fifth round of a lopsided fight, his almost cult-like following never wavered in its support.
Gatti would later lose to big names like Floyd Mayweather Jr and Carlos Baldomir, but it was his three-fight series against Ward that left an indelible impression on fight fans.
Former boxing champion Arturo Gatti, considered one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, has been found dead in a hotel room.
Gatti was on his second honeymoon with his wife and baby son when his blood-spattered body was discovered in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas early on Saturday.
Police investigator Edilson Alves told The Associated Press that the body of the former junior welterweight champ was found in his room at the tourist resort, where Gatti had arrived on Friday with his Brazilian wife Amanda and 10-month-old son.
Alves said police were investigating and it was unclear how the 37-year-old Canadian died.
However, Gatti was found to have blood stains on the back of his head and neck and foul play is suspected, according to Canada's CBC News.
"It is still too early to say anything concrete, although it is all very strange," Alves said.
He declined to provide any additional details.
A spokeswoman for the state public safety department said Gatti's wife and son were unhurt. The woman declined to give a name in keeping with department policy.
"There were no bullet or stab wounds on his body, but police did find blood stains on the floor," she said.
Brazilian boxer and four-time world champion Acelino "Popo" Freitas told the G1 website of Brazil's largest TV network Globo that he was a close friend of Gatti and his wife, and that he "knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate".
Known for his straightforward punching and granite-like chin, Gatti captured the junior welterweight title in 1995, when he defeated Tracy Harris Patterson in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
His brawling style and natural charisma made him a fan favourite, and he became one of New Jersey's adopted sons while fighting some of his most memorable battles on the Boardwalk.
Gatti continued to keep a home in New Jersey after he retired in 2007, with a career record of 40-9 and 31 knockouts.
"His entire boxing career he fought with us, we've known him since he was 17," Kathy Duva of promoter Main Events told The Associated Press.
"It's just an unspeakable tragedy. I can't even find words. It's a horror."
Gatti defended his title three times before moving up in weight and getting stopped by Angel Manfredy in 1997. He lost twice more before running off four straight wins, setting up a big payday against Oscar De La Hoya.
Although Gatti was knocked out in the fifth round of a lopsided fight, his almost cult-like following never wavered in its support.
Gatti would later lose to big names like Floyd Mayweather Jr and Carlos Baldomir, but it was his three-fight series against Ward that left an indelible impression on fight fans.