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Over the course of his fourteen years as a professional fighter, Arturo Gatti has repeatedly returned from the brink of destruction, successfully resurrecting himself by overcoming nearly every obstacle that blocked the pathway to fame and fortune.
His name, now synonymous with a “Blood and Guts, Never Say Die” attitude in the ring, was first established in 1995, when he battled flowing crimson and diminishing vision to take a junior lightweight title from Tracy Patterson. And like wildfire, the cult of Gatti would grow as he participated in edge-of-your-seat bouts against Wilson Rodriguez and Gabe Ruelas, nights that saw the man known as “Thunder” battered, bruised but not beaten, explode with single monstrous left hooks that knocked his opponents out.
Never mind that in-between his knockouts of Rodriguez and Ruelas, Gatti had outpointed Patterson in a rematch by utilizing his boxing skills. In fans’ eyes, that was not who Arturo Gatti was, and unfortunately, Gatti began to believe in the hype of himself as an entertainer, a warrior who stepped between those ropes not just to win, but to be “The Human Highlight Film.”
In 1998, Gatti filled his ledger with losses, a technical stoppage on cuts to Angel Manfredy and two dropped decisions to Ivan Robinson. The fights may have been compelling, but after each, Gatti would leave empty-handed, lacking the “W” that should have been added to his record.
Gatti took eight months off, entering the ring only once in 1999, when he won the first in a string of four straight victories against lesser opponents, all the while adding pounds onto his 5’7” frame. By early 2001 he was a welterweight, and besides being larger in size he was on the grandest stage of them all, standing in the corner opposite Oscar De La Hoya. [details]
His name, now synonymous with a “Blood and Guts, Never Say Die” attitude in the ring, was first established in 1995, when he battled flowing crimson and diminishing vision to take a junior lightweight title from Tracy Patterson. And like wildfire, the cult of Gatti would grow as he participated in edge-of-your-seat bouts against Wilson Rodriguez and Gabe Ruelas, nights that saw the man known as “Thunder” battered, bruised but not beaten, explode with single monstrous left hooks that knocked his opponents out.
Never mind that in-between his knockouts of Rodriguez and Ruelas, Gatti had outpointed Patterson in a rematch by utilizing his boxing skills. In fans’ eyes, that was not who Arturo Gatti was, and unfortunately, Gatti began to believe in the hype of himself as an entertainer, a warrior who stepped between those ropes not just to win, but to be “The Human Highlight Film.”
In 1998, Gatti filled his ledger with losses, a technical stoppage on cuts to Angel Manfredy and two dropped decisions to Ivan Robinson. The fights may have been compelling, but after each, Gatti would leave empty-handed, lacking the “W” that should have been added to his record.
Gatti took eight months off, entering the ring only once in 1999, when he won the first in a string of four straight victories against lesser opponents, all the while adding pounds onto his 5’7” frame. By early 2001 he was a welterweight, and besides being larger in size he was on the grandest stage of them all, standing in the corner opposite Oscar De La Hoya. [details]