Comments Thread For: International Boxing Hall of Fame: The Gatti Question

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By Thomas Gerbasi - It’s been the same ritual every year for the last few. The International Boxing Hall of Fame sends out its ballot in the fall, I check off the name Naseem Hamed and send it back to Ed Brophy and his stalwart crew in Canastota, New York.

By the time the ballots sent in by the rest of my colleagues are counted, Hamed is nowhere to be found on the list of inductees. That won’t stop me from believing the ever-polarizing “Prince” deserves induction among boxing’s best, and it certainly won’t stop me from voting for him.

The question is, will he have company on the deserving but not voted in list as Arturo Gatti is added to the ballot? That’s the question floating around the boxing world as ballots are being distributed this week. Should a fighter who doesn’t qualify as one of the best ever be included in a fraternity that, in theory, should be reserved for the greatest boxers to ever lace up the gloves?

It’s a question I’ve asked since 2005, two years before the end of Gatti’s career, and four years before his tragic death in 2009.

For the record, in a piece I wrote in January of 2005, I believed Gatti deserved induction to the Hall based on his body of work and impact on the sport up to that date. In those final two career years, he only won two of five fights, beating a legitimate former world champion in Jesse James Leija and 37-0 European standout Thomas Damgaard. The losses were to a lock for Canastota, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and two decent, but not superstar-level, foes in Carlos Baldomir and Alfonso Gomez. [Click Here To Read More]

MANIAC310

Gatti should get it...... if only based on his contribution to boxing

even if he wasn't "great" he's still in my top 3 all time favorites

Russian Crushin

HOF should be for the best

But in boxing its a popularity contest, so he should get in

Russian Crushin

Quote:

Originally Posted by Good Goyim

If a movie character is in it, Gatti can be too.

That movie character beat apollo creed, clubber lang, Drago, Tommy morrison and almost beat Tarver as well while way past it

He is an ATG

Deal with it

Halls of Fame

Gatti belongs in the HOF. not cause he is one of the greatest boxers ever, but because he is one of the greatest fighters ever.

elfag

Absolutely.

hes been in 3 "fight of the year"s

HOF is not about pure talent but about your contributions to boxing. And fight of the year is not for some club level talent but is picked amongst world level boxing that is shown on hbo ect. Everyone knows he wasnt the most skilled but he was a belt holder and brought many exciting fights, many more than the average fighter did.

ShoulderRoll

What are the criteria for getting into the Hall of Fame?

If being entertaining and attracting fans to the sport are among the requirements then he belongs.

If the Hall is reserved just for the best of the best then he doesn't belong.

Russian Crushin

Quote:

Originally Posted by el***

Absolutely.

hes been in 3 "fight of the year"s

HOF is not about pure talent but about your contributions to boxing. And fight of the year is not for some club level talent but is picked amongst world level boxing that is shown on hbo ect. Everyone knows he wasnt the most skilled but he was a belt holder and brought many exciting fights, many more than the average fighter did.

Actually HOF is about resume, basically but boxing decided to change the concept to get certain people in

MamaHuevo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russian Crushin

Actually HOF is about resume, basically but boxing decided to change the concept to get certain people in

Quit ur hating that dude had guts, big heart, and fought anybody. Would get dropped eyes swollen but still managed to win fights that way. No one in this era of boxing right has the balls to fight like that. If ring announcers, boxing writers, hell even an actor gets inducted but a fighter that most of us really boxing fans like to see can't get in. What really! how bout playing back Gatti vs. Ward 1 that will show u what a real facking fighters is. So hell yes he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Live wit it chump.

Russian Crushin

Quote:

Originally Posted by MamaHuevo

Quit ur hating that dude had guts, big heart, and fought anybody. Would get dropped eyes swollen but still managed to win fights that way. No one in this era of boxing right has the balls to fight like that. If ring announcers, boxing writers, hell even an actor gets inducted but a fighter that most of us really boxing fans like to see can't get in. What really! how bout playing back Gatti vs. Ward 1 that will show u what a real facking fighters is. So hell yes he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Live wit it chump.

Yea he won against mediocre opposition otherwise he was destroyed

Gatti doesnt belong in the HOF

Sorry bro wipe your tears

MANIAC310 MAINYUCK3100 Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 20,937 Rep Power: 230 Points: 28,757,442,684.21 Bank: 493,809,791,013,740.75 Total Points: 493,838,548,456,424.88 Donate	Gatti should get it...... if only based on his contribution to boxing even if he wasn't "great" he's still in my top 3 all time favorites

Russian Crushin Gift Cards For Everyone! Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Iceland Posts: 30,030 Rep Power: 142 Points: 931,030.50 Bank: 7,826,416,649,079.86 Total Points: 7,826,417,580,110.36 Donate	HOF should be for the best But in boxing its a popularity contest, so he should get in

Halls of Fame Interim Champion Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 857 Rep Power: 18 Points: 540,119,370.80 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 540,119,370.80 Donate	Gatti belongs in the HOF. not cause he is one of the greatest boxers ever, but because he is one of the greatest fighters ever.

elfag Hawaiian F@g Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 3,051 Rep Power: 12 Points: 1,100,089,622.37 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 1,100,089,622.37 Donate	Absolutely. hes been in 3 "fight of the year"s HOF is not about pure talent but about your contributions to boxing. And fight of the year is not for some club level talent but is picked amongst world level boxing that is shown on hbo ect. Everyone knows he wasnt the most skilled but he was a belt holder and brought many exciting fights, many more than the average fighter did.

ShoulderRoll Undisputed Champion Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 9,277 Rep Power: 26 Points: 11,215.85 Bank: 263,618,093,933.71 Total Points: 263,618,105,149.56 Donate	What are the criteria for getting into the Hall of Fame? If being entertaining and attracting fans to the sport are among the requirements then he belongs. If the Hall is reserved just for the best of the best then he doesn't belong.