14 Years After Floyd Mayweather’s Former Opponent Arturo Gatti’s Mysterious Demise, Son Jr. Marking His Amateur Appearance Sends Shockwaves in Boxing World

At the beginning of the century, the Micky Ward–Arturo Gatti trilogy blazed the boxing world. HBO listed the first and third bouts in the decade’s ten best fights. But for an enigmatic fighter who had, besides Ward, fought the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a career spanning sixteen years, life came to a tragic end. It’s been fourteen years since his body was found at a Brazilian hotel in July 2009.

Subsequent investigations ruled it a death by suicide. But the circumstances surrounding the former champion’s untimely death reportedly left many questions unanswered. He is no longer with his loved ones. However, from somewhere, the International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee must be smiling as he watches his son, who was ten months old when he passed away. Arturo Gatti Jr. participated as an amateur in the undercard of unified Light Flyweight champion Evelin Bermudez versus Kim Clavel in Laval, Canada’s Place Bell.

Carrying on a great legacy

So, @FiteTV tweeted an update early today: “The son of a legend, Arturo Gatti Jr., competing in an amateur boxing bout on the #ClavelBermudez undercard.” Even a couple of months ago, a piece on World Boxing News mentioned the legend’s son. It read that Arturo Gatti Jr. has been increasingly resembling his famous father. Calling the youngster a ‘potential future star,’ the article shared how Gatti Jr. had the fortune of receiving counsel from some of the biggest names in boxing, including Mike Tyson and Ryan Garcia.

The similarities between him and Arturo Gatti Sr. were uncanny, and he is seemingly displaying flashes of raw brilliance. Based out of Montreal, Canada, Arturo Gatti Jr. is already a veteran of a few tournaments.

Fighter icon: Arturo Gatti

It was in 1991 that a 19-year-old, Arturo Gatti, took the plunge into professional boxing. During the next six years, one after the other, he won 30 matches, becoming the IBF Junior Lightweight Champion. He suffered his first loss to Angel Manfredy on January 17, 1998. After that, journeying through intermittent defeats, including those to De La Hoya and Ward, Gatti became the WBC Super Lightweight champion. But a year later, he lost the belt to Mayweather Jr. He fought for the following two years, eventually returning after losing the bout to

Alfonso Gomez in July 2007.

Because of his aggression in the ring, most fans rate Arturo Gatti as a slugger. A high number of first-round knockouts, he believed early in his career, are indicative of his devastating knockout power. But the feature for which he is still remembered was his granite chin. The amount of punishment he took was astounding.

Read More: “Bout to Look Like Floyd/Gatti”: Terence Crawford Leaves Fans Pleading for More as 8 Days Remain for the Errol Spence Jr Showdown

Of the three matches Gatti had with Micky Ward, which is your favorite? Please share your views with us in the comments section below.

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