The Ugly Truth About Arturo Gatti's Career (??)

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

You're ******ed to believe that Gatti's manager sat down and said "lets only fight white fighters". MORON. RED K.

If you read the post, it was phrased as a question. You are giving red karma for a topic posed as a question to spur discussion.

Silly boy.

[Panamaniac]

QUESTION: Is it purely coincidental that the only black fighter that Gatti faced in nearly seven years was the big-money Mayweather PPV fight? ...Or is there something else at play here?

I don't think that fighters plan their careers on the basis of their oponents' race. The quality of oponents selected, however, is common practice. That the race of inferior opposition is mostly white, is purely coincidental.

[eazy_mas]

Dammagrad was an elimanator to Baldomir's WBC belts so that is why he fough him and I remeber many saying he was going to lose to him

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

Actually, yes I had heard of both Branco and Damgaard before he faced Gatti. Most knowledgeable fans did. And I dont think Gatti was an elite fighter. He was slightly better than average but never elite. And because he wasnt elite, it doesn't take anything away from his storied career.

And I'm not sure where you are getting at on him not facing an african-american fighter in 7 years; you mention talking 'about race without being racist', yet what does an individuals' race have anything to do with what you are talking about? Because if you are suggesting that an african-american fighter is superior to a caucasian fighter (and that's the only conclusion I can make based on your statement, unless I am wrong; I mean what do you mean by 'something else at play here'?) then I dont know what's more racist than that.

You are wrong. I did not make that implication at all. It spoke to the marketability of the fights. You are making an inference that is not there.

but also, if you look at the upper echelon of the fighters in Gatti's weight classes during his tenure, it WAS dominated by Latino and black fighters.

[danny stash]

Arturo Gatti tried to fight decent opposition early in his career, and lost to nearly all of them.

In the second-half of Gatti's career, he and his management team decided to just go for the money, and to make fights up in the Northeast where his fanbase is situated. Their strategy was to find predominantly white fights with good records that Gatti can beat. Examples follow.

Joey Gamache - white fighter with excellent 55-3 record. Gatti outweighed him by a rumoured 18 lbs on fight night. And ended Gamache's career.

Micky Ward - Micky had a journeyman's record, but their first fight was one of the most brutal ever, and the trilogy is the stuff of boxing lore.

Gianluca Branco - Excellent record of 32-0. Had never fought outside of Italy before. Who had heard of this guy pre-Gatti?

Leonard Dorin - Excellent undefeated record, although he had a controversial draw with Spaddy. Gatti stopped him on a bodyshot, and ended Dorin's career (noticing a trend yet?)

Thomas Damgaard - Excellent record of 37-0. had never fought outside of Denmark (really, how does Gatti find these guys?). Had you ever heard of Damgaard pre-Gatti? Gave Arturo a good tussle, and Gatti showed that he had mostly recovered from the PBF fight.


A friend brought this up to me when he noticed the pattern. The fanbase of Gatti's fights (despite being between NYC and Philly) is almost exclusively white. So Gatti stacked his cards with (mostly crappy) white fighters with overblown records. The other opponents were hispanics with white complexions.

QUESTION: Is it purely coincidental that the only black fighter that Gatti faced in nearly seven years was the big-money Mayweather PPV fight? ...Or is there something else at play here?

( NOTE: IF YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT RACE WITHOUT BEING RACIST, IGNORE THIS THREAD AND MOVE ALONG).

This post sucks balls. Thats nuff said. I am so so sick of the race card on this forum. A BOXER IS BOXER. As far as gatti goes he made a career out of heart and determination and good marketing. Give the man his credit. Guys like ike and others with all the talent in the world squandered it. Give credit to those who persevere with limited tools.

[Mozza]

I can see where you are coming from DIOS but I'm pretty sure that Gatti's fans would have been more interested in seeing good fights than seeing white fights.

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

Dammagrad was an elimanator to Baldomir's WBC belts so that is why he fough him and I remeber many saying he was going to lose to him

Based on Damgaard's wins over......?

The ONLY reason anyone thought that TD may have had a chance was because of AG's possible lingering effects from the Mayweather fight.

Damgaard had beaten nobody. He had the textbook definition of a padded record.

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php...7860&cat=boxer

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

This post sucks balls. Thats nuff said. I am so so sick of the race card on this forum. A BOXER IS BOXER. As far as gatti goes he made a career out of heart and determination and good marketing. Give the man his credit. Guys like ike and others with all the talent in the world squandered it. Give credit to those who persevere with limited tools.

danny,

Read the last sentence of the original post.

Who's Ike?

[Knockyouout!!]

Arturo Gatti tried to fight decent opposition early in his career, and lost to nearly all of them.

In the second-half of Gatti's career, he and his management team decided to just go for the money, and to make fights up in the Northeast where his fanbase is situated. Their strategy was to find predominantly white fights with good records that Gatti can beat. Examples follow.

Joey Gamache - white fighter with excellent 55-3 record. Gatti outweighed him by a rumoured 18 lbs on fight night. And ended Gamache's career.

Micky Ward - Micky had a journeyman's record, but their first fight was one of the most brutal ever, and the trilogy is the stuff of boxing lore.

Gianluca Branco - Excellent record of 32-0. Had never fought outside of Italy before. Who had heard of this guy pre-Gatti?

Leonard Dorin - Excellent undefeated record, although he had a controversial draw with Spaddy. Gatti stopped him on a bodyshot, and ended Dorin's career (noticing a trend yet?)

Thomas Damgaard - Excellent record of 37-0. had never fought outside of Denmark (really, how does Gatti find these guys?). Had you ever heard of Damgaard pre-Gatti? Gave Arturo a good tussle, and Gatti showed that he had mostly recovered from the PBF fight.


A friend brought this up to me when he noticed the pattern. The fanbase of Gatti's fights (despite being between NYC and Philly) is almost exclusively white. So Gatti stacked his cards with (mostly crappy) white fighters with overblown records. The other opponents were hispanics with white complexions.

QUESTION: Is it purely coincidental that the only black fighter that Gatti faced in nearly seven years was the big-money Mayweather PPV fight? ...Or is there something else at play here?

( NOTE: IF YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT RACE WITHOUT BEING RACIST, IGNORE THIS THREAD AND MOVE ALONG).

Gatti TKO Terron Millet

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

I can see where you are coming from DIOS but I'm pretty sure that Gatti's fans would have been more interested in seeing good fights than seeing white fights.

I respect and understand you. But ...Would Gatti's fans have been MORE interested in seeing:

Casamayor, Corrales, Corley, Vivian, NDou, Raheem, Forbes, Campbell, Witter, Mosley, Judah AND Cotto, Tszyu, Freitas, etc, etc?

OR

Damgaard, Branco, Jukabowski, Gamache & Dorin?

What would YOU pay for?