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By Thomas Gerbasi - Nearly six years after his tragic and still mysterious death, the reminders of Arturo Gatti are still there.
First there was a trip to Jersey City. It’s a melting pot that didn’t raise him – that honor went to Montreal – but it did adopt him, treating him as one of their own, a sports franchise with gloves, a mouthpiece, and the kind of heart Springsteen always sang about.
Then there was the Hall of Fame induction of Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. Before Gatti thrilled fans on Saturday nights, Mancini did it on Saturday afternoons, and when it came time for voters to decide if these two action heroes deserved a plaque in Canastota, there was a debate about whether their body of work warranted it. Maybe not if you go strictly by wins and losses, but in terms of impact, both delivered above and beyond the call of duty. Both were inducted.
Finally, a quick look through some old boxes turned up my daughter’s autograph book, and wedged between an eclectic group of signatures that included Buzz Lightyear and Minnie Mouse alongside Wladimir Klitschko and Vernon Forrest was Arturo Gatti’s name. In January of 2004, Gatti held a press conference to promote his upcoming bout with Gianluca Branco. My daughter, eight years old at the time, wanted to see her favorite fighter, “Artoono” Gatti. Against all sense of professionalism, I brought her to the presser, and Main Events’ publicist at the time, Donald Tremblay, graciously let her in. Gatti, in the midst of personal issues, often stopped to shed a few tears in the midst of talking about his fight. But when my daughter approached him after the Q&A was done, he managed that unforgettable smile and a signature, making a little girl’s day. [Click Here To Read More]
First there was a trip to Jersey City. It’s a melting pot that didn’t raise him – that honor went to Montreal – but it did adopt him, treating him as one of their own, a sports franchise with gloves, a mouthpiece, and the kind of heart Springsteen always sang about.
Then there was the Hall of Fame induction of Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini. Before Gatti thrilled fans on Saturday nights, Mancini did it on Saturday afternoons, and when it came time for voters to decide if these two action heroes deserved a plaque in Canastota, there was a debate about whether their body of work warranted it. Maybe not if you go strictly by wins and losses, but in terms of impact, both delivered above and beyond the call of duty. Both were inducted.
Finally, a quick look through some old boxes turned up my daughter’s autograph book, and wedged between an eclectic group of signatures that included Buzz Lightyear and Minnie Mouse alongside Wladimir Klitschko and Vernon Forrest was Arturo Gatti’s name. In January of 2004, Gatti held a press conference to promote his upcoming bout with Gianluca Branco. My daughter, eight years old at the time, wanted to see her favorite fighter, “Artoono” Gatti. Against all sense of professionalism, I brought her to the presser, and Main Events’ publicist at the time, Donald Tremblay, graciously let her in. Gatti, in the midst of personal issues, often stopped to shed a few tears in the midst of talking about his fight. But when my daughter approached him after the Q&A was done, he managed that unforgettable smile and a signature, making a little girl’s day. [Click Here To Read More]
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