There were hundreds of mourners who crowded a Montreal funeral home to say goodbye to former two division champion Arturo Gatti. On the morning of July 11, Gatti was found dead in his hotel room at the Porto de Galinhas resort in Brazil. Police believe his wife Amanda Rodrigues strangled him and caused an injury to the back of his head with a table knife. The couple had a very hostile relationship. Several witnesses saw the couple exchanging some very heated words on the night of July 10.
Gatti, 37, was born in Italy. He grew up in Montreal but made his name in the sport when he moved to New Jersey in the United States. He moved back to Montreal not long after retiring from the sport in 2007.
Many boxers came to service, including Jean Pascal, Joachim Alcine and Howard and Otis Grant. Gatti's coffin rested with one of his championship belts, a pair of white boxing gloves and a wreath spelling out his nickname pro boxing nickname - ‘Thunder’—in red flowers.
"He gave me hope," Alcine said to The National Post. "He gave me strength . . . I'm just remembering his smile. He was a very happy man."
"Arturo was the prime example of perseverance," Pascal said. "He wasn't a superstar in amateur boxing but he became a megastar in professional boxing, especially with his personality and charm."
....source
Posts
