NOBODY HAD MORE HEART THAN GATTI
Pittsburgh, PA– Arturo Gatti’s performances were so extraordinary and rare that they were hard to put into words, but I’ll try: It takes superior courage to lace up gloves and get in the ring. Among boxers you have those who exhibit the will and desire to separate themselves from the pack. And then there are a handful of once-in-a-generation fighters who show such heart, such toughness between the ropes that we can only marvel at their superhuman efforts while having to remind ourselves that they are real people, dealing with pain and exhaustion we can only imagine. Like ring legends such as Carmen Basilio and Evander Holyfield, Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs) possessed a heart matched only by a select few in the sport’s three centuries.
GREAT FIGHTS, YES, BUT A GREAT FIGHTER?
So what if Gatti wasn’t an “A” fighter like some of those against whom he just couldn’t match skills, most notably Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He probably wouldn’t have been the “Thunder” Gatti we knew and loved with those skills, and what a shame that would have been. He only provided arguably the most dramatic, cinematic efforts of the past thirty years, if not longer. The poster child for why we love boxing, with all due respect to Mixed Martial Arts fans, name any of a half dozen of Gatti’s best fights and they’re all more exciting than anything ever produced by MMA. His real-life Rocky bouts, not Mayweather’s shoulder roll defense or Wladimir Klitschko’s jab, are what kids dream about.
FOUR FIGHTS OF THE YEAR
Consider the elite company Gatti enjoys as one of only five in history with at least four Ring Magazine Fight of the Year awards: Muhammad Ali (6); Basilio (5); Joe Louis (5); and Gene Tunney (4). On top of that, unlike the others, Gatti’s fights of the year were not recognized for their historical significance, but for their unbelievable see-saw action, violence and drama. Also, think about some Gatti fights that did not win fight of the year, including his amazing, one-eyed comeback against Wilson Rodriguez and his first title win over Tracy Patterson.
HOW WE SHOULD REMEMBER GATTI
Gatti was a very good fighter who won two titles and enjoyed almost two decades of success, but a lot of boxers can say that, and it’s not enough to get you into the Hall of Fame. If a fighter earns his place into the Hall with skill and his record on paper alone, then Gatti’s out. But, if your “accomplishments” aren’t just limited to stats and records – if we account for heart, perseverance and excitement – then we just lost a Hall of Famer Saturday, when Gatti’s life ended much too soon. The man who brought a “never say die” attitude to the ring died in a tragic irony this weekend, and Hall of Famer or not, Arturo Gatti gave us a career full of inspiring and enthralling moments in the ring and in the process became a boxing immortal.
Brian Gorman