By Sue Montgomery

MONTREAL - The long and messy saga over the late boxer Arturo Gatti's will seems to be approaching at least a partial end as his widow and family were locked in closed-door talks Tuesday.

"Hopefully, tomorrow (Wednesday) morning we'll have some good news," said Pierre-Hugues Fortin, who represents Amanda Rodrigues, Gatti's widow.

On Monday, Fabrizio Gatti told Quebec Superior Court that his brother's assets - worth about $3.4 million - should be divided equally between the boxer's two children.

Gatti has one son, Junior, with Rodrigues and a daughter with another woman, Erika Rivera.

The family claims Gatti was pressed by Rodrigues in June 2009 to sign a will leaving everything to her. Three weeks later, the champion boxer was found dead in Brazil, where he was vacationing with his wife and son.

The family says a will from 2007 in which Gatti left his assets to his daughter, mother and Fabrizio should be honoured. But no one has a signed copy of that document.

But even if this legal battle is settled, Rodrigues's war with her husband's past won't be over.

Rivera has filed a wrongful-death suit in New Jersey, claiming Rodrigues either bludgeoned and asphyxiated her husband, or conspired with others to do so. As a result of that suit, all of Gatti's assets have been frozen.

Sue Montgomery is a reporter for the Montreal Gazette.