Tears of joy and tears of
sadness will flow here Sunday when Arturo Gatti’s name is announced as he
inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It’s an honor that is well
deserved for his brilliant ring career, but will be tempered by the still
painful memory of his untimely death four years ago.
“It’s sad he’s not going to be
there,” his long-time manager, Pat Lynch, told The Post. “I know he’ll be
looking down. It’s going to be a very happy day, but it’s going to be a very
sad day.”
Few would have predicted Gatti
would reach boxing’s ultimate fraternity when he moved from his native Montreal
at age 19 to join his older brother, Joe, in Jersey City to pursue a
professional boxing career. He won his first two pro fights by knockout, and
after stopping Richard De Jesus in 28 seconds of his third fight, he signed a
contract with Main Events, the New Jersey-based promotional company that guided
his entire career.
He goes into the Hall of Fame
not for being the most skilled fighter of his era, but as promoter Lou DiBella
said: “the most exciting fighter of his generation.”
“It didn’t matter if he won or
lost,” said DiBella, who handled boxing programming at HBO during most of
Gatti’s 21 fights for the network. “He captivated people. He had a warrior
spirit in the ring.”
That warrior spirit will be
remembered tomorrow when Gatti joins boxer Virgil Hill, referee Mills Lane,
announcer Jim Lennon Jr., journalist Colin Hart and boxer Myung-Woo Yuh of
Seoul, South Korea, in the Class of 2013. Among those applauding Gatti’s
induction is former heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Mike Tyson, who met
Gatti when he was 10 years old.
“I remember him being so
determined and so hungry,” Tyson said. “He wanted to be a champion so bad.”
Gatti became a three-time
world champion who amassed a record of 40-9 with 31 knockouts before retiring
in 2007. His good looks, charming smile and toe-to-toe style generated a huge
following that guaranteed sellout crowds in Atlantic City and New York. His
three fights with Micky Ward are considered by many the best boxing trilogy next
to Ali-Frazier. But he also had epic battles with Tracy Harris Patterson, Ivan
Robinson, and Wilson Rodriguez. When “Thunder” Gatti fought, it was an event.
“Sometimes you catch lightning
in a bottle and that’s what happened,” said Main Events promoter Kathy Duva.
“The thing about Arturo is that people identified with him. He was just like
the people who came to see him fight and I think they knew that.” (Source)
