By Ruslan Chikov and Gregory Stangrit, Allboxing.ru
James "Buddy" McGirt, a former multi-division champion and currently recognized as one of the top trainers in the sport, gave his thoughts on one of the boxers who helped raise his status as a trainer, the late Arturo Gatti. A few days ago, McGirt arrived in Moscow, Russia to train James Toney for his upcoming cruiserweight battle with Denis Lebedev, scheduled for November 4th.
Gatti passed away in July of 2009 under mysterious circumstances. The investigation still continues to determine whether or not Gatti was killed or committed suicide.
"Arturo was a man with a big heart. - He was a terrific person. If there was someone who he didn't like, he would simply avoid the man. But if he liked you, he would be your best friend. He would never give you money, but if he found out that you needed something - he would buy it. Even if you suddenly for some reason found yourself on the street, and you had nowhere to live, Gatti would have bought you a house. It's very rare to find such a man. I do not believe that he committed suicide. I am positive that he was killed," McGirt said.