By Mark Vester

Arturo "Thunder" Gatti (40-8, 31 KO's), 34, makes his return to the ring on July 14 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He takes on Alfonso Gomez (16-3-2, 7 KO’s), a past participant in the Contender reality series, in the main event of a televised triple-header on HBO.

Now being trained by "Irish" Micky Ward, who faced Gatti in one of most memorable trilogies in boxing history, Gatti hopes to get himself back in position for a title shot by early 2008. In an interview with BoxingScene's Bill Emes, Gatti refused to disclose what led to the crumbling friendship between him and former trainer Buddy McGirt.

"It's nobodies' business. He knows. Look at Buddy's career and where it's going to go. When you f*ck me, you f*ck yourself. I've been good to everybody that's worked with me and that's another thing I changed a little bit. When you are too good, f*cking people want to take advantage of you and that sh*ts going to change. I've changed a lot in my life," Gatti said. "I cast a lot of people (out) that hung around with me. If you want to take something from me, you are out. I don't need you. I came to this country with no money and somehow I've become a popular girl with a bunch of losers that come around. Leeches that want to take from you.

"A lot of trainers train fighters and they make a name for themselves from the fighter and then become a little too big for the fighter. That's when it's time to get rid of them. Trainers have to remember one thing; you are not there because of your ability of training. (It's) because the fighter makes you think you are the better trainer. When the trainer thinks he's better than you, (he's) out. Fire him. Fire them all."

Gatti is coming off a devastating 2006 knockout loss to Carlos Baldomir. Gatti admits that he was not mentally ready for the fight due to his personal problems outside of the ring with his daughter's mother, and her family.

"I didn’t want to fight. I didn’t want to be there. It's the first time in my life that I didn’t want to go. But I had to. It's not football, hockey or baseball. You have a bad shoulder or arm and people could replace you. That's what people don't understand. The world of boxing is the toughest sport on the world. The least paid athletes," Gatti said.

"The last fight was a mistake. This fight I feel good, my mind is clear. I got rid of the f*cking disease that came into my life for a couple of months. She was nothing, but a nightmare to me. Her and her family. I got rid of them and I just that they can stay away from me, I'll make sure of that. People take advantage of people like me. I came up in the world of boxing, made a few dollars and everyone wants to eat off my sweat. They should change the rules in New Jersey. You get knocked up and she can turn around (and) take everything you own, worked all your life for. It's bullsh*t."

After suffering the loss to Baldomir, many felt Gatti would retire, but the thought never entered his mind. He plans to continue fighting as long as he's able to do so with a different gameplan in the ring. This time around he plans to fight smart by avoiding brawls.

"No. Never, not when you feel you got it. Not when you have everything," Gatti said. "I'm smart enough to know that If I slug, I don't win the fight. The slugfests are over. I got good legs, I can box anybody."

Gatti has never watched a single episode of the Contender reality series. He is taking Gomez very seriously, regardless of his opponent’s technical shortcomings.
 
"I never watched it in my life. He's a tough guy. Wings punches from everywhere, doesn't have a jab, but he's a tough guy. But you know what happens to tough guys after they get hit by 6, 7 punches in a row for several rounds. You get soft. I look forward to fighting him because I know he's going to come in and fight the best fight of his life," Gatti said.

"I go through him and there are a lot of fights out there for me. Arturo Gatti is the kind of guy who fights one time and he's lined up for a world title. I've never selected my opponents, but now I'm older I want guys who are more compatible to me. That are going to stand in front of me and trade. I can box them or I can trade with them. I'm not going to fight guys who are going to start running around and beat me by points."

The plan to box and not brawl may have to do with the fact that Gatti is slated to face undefeated Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in November. The last thing he wants is to get injured prior to meeting Chavez in what should be a fight with plenty of buzz if it happens to come off.

"The name sounds great. I like it, but lets take one fight at a time. It’s only the right thing to do, for my promoters to schedule a fight for me. It shows they have a lot of confidence that I'm going to win this fight and I have doubt about it in my heart that I'm going to win this fight. It's a dangerous fight (Gomez). I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to get cut, I don’t want to hurt my hands, but I am going to win this fight.”

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