Arturo Gatti vs Carlos Baldomir Fight Poster

Former boxer Arturo “Thunder” Gatti, 40-9 with 31 KO’s, was found dead in a hotel room in Brazil, according to reports out of Sao Paulo today. Gatti, best known for his brutal, come-forward style, was in Brazil for a second honeymoon with his wife and one year-old son; He was found dead early Saturday morning, but police say he could have been killed up to eight hours prior. The two-weight-division champion was 37 years old and, while the investigation is ongoing, foul play is suspected. (It’s South America, I’m pretty sure that’s always a safe bet.)

While not always the most technical fighter, Arturo Gatti was one of the most exciting fighers of his generation and always a fan-favorite due to his crowd-pleasing style and tremendous heart. Despite being born in Italy and raised in Canada, he became one of Atlantic City’s adopted sons, fighting many of his biggest fights there, including the last nine of his career at Boardwalk Hall. Perhaps best known for his bloody trilogy with “Irish” Micky Ward, Gatti fought four times in a Ring Magazine “Fight of the Year,” including twice against Ward. NikeBlog.com finds this to be an unspeakable tragedy and hopes everyone will keep the Gatti family in their thoughts.