By Keith Idec
NEWARK, N.J. — Micky Ward returned to the state where Arturo Gatti became a legend Wednesday night more optimistic than ever that Gatti’s family and friends might get the justice they seek.
Ward was pleasantly surprised to learn last week that Brazilian authorities have decided to continue an investigation into Gatti’s mysterious July 2009 death in Porto de Galihnas, Brazil.
Like everyone else who was close to Gatti, Ward doesn’t believe his foe-turned-friend committed suicide. Brazilian investigators concluded two years ago that Gatti hanged himself with his wife’s purse strap, after initially indicating that Gatti’s widow, Amanda Rodrigues, killed the beloved brawler at a villa they rented in a seaside resort community.
Rodrigues was arrested soon after the 37-year-old Gatti died, but was released after 18 days in custody and never charged with a crime.
“It’s great,” said Ward, who attended an eight-bout club card at the Robert Treat Hotel. “I think this is what should’ve happened the first time. But, you know, I think with her being from there and Arturo being from here, I don’t think it was right the way it went. I’m so glad it’s been opened back up, so we can get the real truth out.”
Brazilian prosecutors agreed to extend the investigation into Gatti’s death after a team of investigative, medical and scientific experts revealed findings during a Sept. 7 press conference in North Bergen, N.J., that strongly support the theory that Gatti was murdered.
“The persistence of Pat Lynch and Mikey Sciarra, guys like that, great friends of Arturo’s, they made it happen,” Ward said of Lynch, Gatti’s longtime manager and close friend, and Sciarra, one Gatti’s closest friends. “If it wasn’t for those two guys [pushing the private investigation], this wouldn’t have happened. So you’ve got to thank those two guys for the love they had for this kid.”
Ward wants Brazilian investigators to arrest whoever’s responsible for Gatti’s death, but he is only cautiously optimistic.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ward said. “I just want to see Arturo’s estate go to where it should go, to his kids and his family, his mom. Then it’ll be good. I just don’t want [Rodrigues to get Gatti’s fortune] if she had something to do with it. And I don’t think she did it personally, but I know she had something to do with it. I just hope that the truth comes out and that she doesn’t get a [bleeping] dime off it.”
A civil trial is underway in Gatti’s native Montreal, where Rodrigues and some of Gatti’s family members have argued that each side is entitled to Gatti’s entire estate, which was initially valued at more than $6 million. Gatti changed his will 24 days before his death to leave everything he had to Rodrigues, the mother of his now-3-year-old son, Arturo Jr.
The mother of Gatti’s other child, a 5-year-old daughter, also filed a wrongful death suit against Rodrigues in a New Jersey court last week.
No matter what happens in those courtrooms or in Brazil, Ward will lament that his friend was taken from him far too soon. Gatti and Ward bonded during their thrilling trilogy in 2002 and 2003, and grew very close following their third fight in June 2003 in Atlantic City.
They golfed, partied and vacationed together. Ward even trained Gatti for his final fight, an eighth-round TKO loss to Alfonso Gomez in July 2007 in Atlantic City.
“Me and him became really good friends,” said Ward, who was immortalized in “The Fighter,” an Oscar-winning motion picture. “We could be enjoying retirement together, doing so much together, and enjoying the trilogy that we had together, like Ali-Frazier. But those guys aren’t friends like me and Arturo were. [His death] took a big chunk out of me. The great guy he was, they took that away. I miss him dearly.”
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, NJ., and BoxingScene.com.