Did Arturo Gatti Deserve IBHOF Spot?

[billeau2]

Very good post. I just made my case a few months ago in a different thread on how Gatti deserves it. I don't know how other sports handle their Hall of Fame, but the boxing HOF is for people who have made great contributions to the sport one way or another. "Fame" being the keyword. You don't have to be an ATG to get in. If referees, trainers, and commentators are eligible, then why not a blood and guts warrior who drew a lot of interest for the sport?

If people think only ATGs should get in, we need to go back in time and rewrite the rules for who is eligible.

I've had friends that became boxing fans because of Gatti's fights. He got the benefit of being featured on HBO, but too many fighters of his caliber go unrecognized. It's a shame that many fighters with much more talent haven't been inducted yet, but there should be a spot reserved for someone like Gatti.

For a guy with such limited skills, he still became a multi time world champion and was an opponent for some top names. He was an overachiever in almost every sense, but he showed that heart, grit, and determination can overcome more skilled fighters.

Gatti is boxing.

That is a logical argument and one that people tend to use regarding Gatti. As long as criteria is consistent it will tend to have logical consistency. It works for boxing because boxing is a sport with many layers of punditry. ATG is the nominal tag that indicates elite status and this classification is debated as it should be.

In Jewish religion there are two types of fundamental text: Core and commentary. this interplay is what allows different issues to be debated, hammered out, etc. I tend to look at boxing knowlegable fans the same way. Commentary eventually gives way to a certain status that is generally accepted as fact. There was a time when there were guys in the game who had seen Dempsey, even Johnson! all the way up to Ali...a few up to Tyson! These guys had the benefit of seeing and when they opined it was accepted as great information.

Now we are seeing guys who have their own favorite fighters who they saw coming up, and ATG status is debated continually!

What one does not see is debate, from knowlegable fans about HOF status! It functions for a more widespread, I dare say casual sense of boxing literacy...and there is nothing wrong with that. Many great fighting minds have tremendous respect for guys like Ward and Gatti, and guys like the Quarry brothers.

Speaking of good posts, right back at you!

[Anthony342]

Gatti's kind of like the real life Rocky. Decent skill, a lot of heart and some real blood and guts battles in the ring. I like that Jim Lampley even does lists for best warriors in the sport and calls it The Gatti List.

Do you think the fact that Gatti was murdered, dying young, also had something to do with pushing through his hall of fame induction, as a way to honor his life?

[OctoberRed]

Do you think the fact that Gatti was murdered, dying young, also had something to do with pushing through his hall of fame induction, as a way to honor his life?

100%. All of those TV specials after he died, the long investigation, the court battles. His death got some major coverage when it happened.

[Anthony342]

Did you guys like the Legendary Nights episode on the Gatti-Ward trilogy? I did, but thought it would've worked better in the shorter format of the earlier episodes. And I don't buy the suicide theory either, seems like his wife killed him, what say you? I remember Vernon Forrest and Alexis Arguello dying the same week. I think Forrest was shot trying to help a kid that got attacked and Arguello was a suicide, wasn't it?

[billeau2]

Did you guys like the Legendary Nights episode on the Gatti-Ward trilogy? I did, but thought it would've worked better in the shorter format of the earlier episodes. And I don't buy the suicide theory either, seems like his wife killed him, what say you? I remember Vernon Forrest and Alexis Arguello dying the same week. I think Forrest was shot trying to help a kid that got attacked and Arguello was a suicide, wasn't it?

Anthony I seem to remember the Arguello situation that way, and Forrest was shot. Gatti's situation is complex. There does appear to be evidence she murdered him.

[OctoberRed]

Anthony I seem to remember the Arguello situation that way, and Forrest was shot. Gatti's situation is complex. There does appear to be evidence she murdered him.

I don't know if there is actual evidence, but there is motive.

Gatti was well known for drinking heavily and putting his hands on women. There were witnesses that he slapped her around prior to the murder.

[Anthony342]

Hmmm. So that would technically be self defense.

[TBear]

Not the resume or big title victories but if you consider the drawing power he had and excitement he brought.

A good example similar to this would be Micky Ward. Ward fought on tv many times(the majority of his career). He scored many upsets over ranked contenders but does not have a great resume in regards to victories. Ward does however have many fights of the year and fight of the year candidates.
Being a fan favorite helps if it is prolonged and consistent. This description could easily apply to Gatti, who was a fan favorite as well.

[Tom Cruise]

No.

It should be based purely on sporting achievement.

If you start opening the doors to regional draws (which in a global sense is all Gatti was) and exciting fighters you will end up with countless average fighters in the hall. If we got Gatti in there why not Nigel Benn? He was hella exciting and a huge draw in his day as well

Not to disrespect Gatti, but does he deserve to be alongside fighters who made it right to the top of their profession and stayed there for many years? It cheapens the whole thing.

B.McGuigan is another who got in mostly due to his popularity (though he does have a very good win at least)

[Tom Cruise]

Based upon resume no. Based upon entertainment value and his trilogy with Ward, it's not beyond reason. If they have room on the wall for Sly Stallone and Jim Lampley who never shed a drop of blood for this sport, there is room for Gatti.

They are in a different section though arent they?

The non participant category

Cant really use that as justification