HOF = great fighters not bums like Gatti!

[-EX-]

I don't know if he should be in the HOF but he is definently not a bum.

[PATO 1]

why call him a bum

[guru]

he's not that good and people got WAAAY overrated for beating him(robinson, manfredy, baldomir), but he did provide LOTS of memorable fights...

[K-DOGG]

Whether you like him or not, Gatti was far from a "bum". It really annoys me when the word "Bum" is attached to any above average fighter, especially one who was easily Top Ten during his era. It denotes jealousy of his popularity. Was Gatti the best? No; but he was far from "the worst".

[Guest]

Whether you like him or not, Gatti was far from a "bum". It really annoys me when the word "Bum" is attached to any above average fighter, especially one who was easily Top Ten during his era. It denotes jealousy of his popularity. Was Gatti the best? No; but he was far from "the worst".

People only call him a bum to take away from Mayweather's win.

Gatti does not deserve to be in the HOF...

[Kayo]

Its disgusting that people call Gatti a bum since hes done so much for the sport.

Also a bum is someone who fights twice a month for a couple hundred bucks against other unknowns or some rising prospect in their backyard to buff up their record. Bums dont fight for titles

[Verstyle]

and the fact that hes held 2 world titles at 2 different wieghts , never ducked nebody in hes life and always entertained no matter what means he should not get what is rightfully hes and that been a hof spot
yah he might be a "bum" but if i could achieve half as much as him and get called a bum from arm chair fans id be the happiest bum in the world

those shots were given to him since he was an exciting fighter

[grayfist]

Putting Gatti in there shall mute dissent on the nomination of Jesse James Leija. But that is not a situation that I find ideal.

I like both Gatti and Leija and, like anyone who loves fighters who bring everything they have to the ring everytime, treasure their feats. But I just can't think of them as occupying rarefied niches in the IBHOF, notwithstanding the knowledge that Leija has two victories and a draw against a Hall of Fame inductee, Azumah Nelson. I won't push for Leija even though he has a win over Ivan Robinson to whom Gatti lost twice in epic battles.

Leija was KOd in the 5th by Gatti in his last career fight, but he was 40 years old and had strung together 57 pro campaigns, losing only 7 to the likes of Mosley, De La Hoya, Tszyu, Lascano, Nelson, etc.

One final note: BOTH WERE NOT BUMS. Losing to immortals cannot make them lesser men. If anything, the way they lost (with inordinate courage) helped highlight the special men they are.

[ferocity]

Putting Gatti in there shall mute dissent on the nomination of Jesse James Leija. But that is not a situation that I find ideal.

I like both Gatti and Leija and, like anyone who loves fighters who bring everything they have to the ring everytime, treasure their feats. But I just can't think of them as occupying rarefied niches in the IBHOF, notwithstanding the knowledge that Leija has two victories and a draw against a Hall of Fame inductee, Azumah Nelson. I won't push for Leija even though he has a win over Ivan Robinson to whom Gatti lost twice in epic battles.

Leija was KOd in the 5th by Gatti in his last career fight, but he was 40 years old and had strung together 57 pro campaigns, losing only 7 to the likes of Mosley, De La Hoya, Tszyu, Lascano, Nelson, etc.

One final note: BOTH WERE NOT BUMS. Losing to immortals cannot make them lesser men. If anything, the way they lost (with inordinate courage) helped highlight the special men they are.

I aggrree I wouldn't call them bums. Though Leija did beat the better fighters. I hate to say this but he actually beat Lazcano and surprising he didn't get killed or run over by Tszyu inside 1-2 round towards the later career it seemed like he was on a cutting streek, Camacho, Ward, Lejia he was a good fighter and i belive he like Ruelas should have gotten the W in each of there first fight with Nelson. Credit to Nelson, he still came back and got a win over both of them and clean wins. Ruelas v. Leija was a very good fight, i still remember what Leija said in an interview they showed on the ppv before his fight with Ruelas, credit to Leija he ducked no one, wasn't the best but good fighter.

Gatti just never beat an elite fighter. But i'll give him much credit for beating Ruelas, though that wasn't the same Ruelas before the Garcia fight, before the Garcia fight, Ruelas wouldn't even have thought about getting about but would have been able to get up. The death of Garcia really messed with Ruelas but he was a good fighter i'll always remember for the toughness he brought into the ring aswell as the excitment.

I never really respected Gatti, cause of the fighters he lost too and the hype he got. But he showed me his toughness against Delahoya, and after that he got my respect. Tough guy no doubt.

[ferocity]

Its disgusting that people call Gatti a bum since hes done so much for the sport.

Also a bum is someone who fights twice a month for a couple hundred bucks against other unknowns or some rising prospect in their backyard to buff up their record. Bums dont fight for titles

He was very well guided to his title and the opponets picked were perfect, except somtimes they back fired. I'll give him props for beating Ruelas and winning his title from Tracy Patterson.