# RIP Arturo Gatti **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 14, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002 "2009-07-14T17:26:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/1 "2009-07-14T17:26:56Z")
Arturo “Thunder” Gatti died this weekend in a resort in Brazil, apparently strangled by his wife. He was probably best known for his three fight series with “Irish” Micky Ward. Among boxing fans, he was one of those always pointed to when trying to explain what “heart” was in a fighter. Gone too soon, and we’ll miss him. [Foul play suspected in Gatti’s death](http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4321150) [Gatti’s guts, devotion will be missed](http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=4326511) ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/2 "2009-07-14T17:33:36Z")
Do lightweights die in 3s like celebrities? After Arguello and Gatti, I’d be concerned if I was Roberto Duran… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/3 "2009-07-14T17:36:10Z")
That must be one badass wife. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/4 "2009-07-14T19:55:49Z")
Wow. Helluva fighter for a while, and I loved the Micky Ward fights. I agree. His wife must be one baaaaaad person. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/5 "2009-07-14T20:48:56Z")
From the report I heard, it’s my understanding he was strangled but also had blunt force trauma to the head. So I’m guessing she (if she did it) whacked him on the head first and then strangled him while he was out cold. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/6 "2009-07-14T21:26:35Z")
> [@MrSquishy](#): > > From the report I heard, it’s my understanding he was strangled but also had blunt force trauma to the head. So I’m guessing she (if she did it) whacked him on the head first and then strangled him while he was out cold. The reports I’ve read say he was passed out drunk when she first stabbed him in the head, then strangled him. ---
**Author:** ![Sincere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sincere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sincere)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/7 "2009-07-15T01:38:26Z")
Gatti really was a warrior. Remember when he was asking for one more round against Mayweather and also gutting it out against Ward. I always felt he could have gone a lot further with someone other than Buddy Mcgirt. He’ll definitely be missed in the sport. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/8 "2009-07-15T13:41:05Z")
I didn’t know Arguello was dead. But Gatti’s fights with Ward were classics. Better to burn up than rust out, but this is rather taking it to the extreme. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/9 "2009-07-15T13:45:16Z")
Their relationship, by folks who liked him, has delicately been described as volatile. Even if he was passed out drunk and whacked on the head I’d be scared to mess with this guy. Sad way to go, he seems to have been well liked and respected by those in the sport. Also sad for his wife that it came to this. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/10 "2009-07-15T15:30:38Z")
The first two Ward fights were the most brutal boxing matches I’ve ever seen. The third was decent, though not quite as good. Considering the number of headshots he took in his career it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he’d gone permanently punch-drunk, _a la_ Chris Benoit. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/11 "2009-07-16T15:06:04Z")
I always liked watching Gatti’s fights. I always used to joke that he personified the Homer Simpson defense. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/12 "2009-07-30T23:46:02Z")
[Brazilian police ruled that Gatti killed himself.](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/boxing/07/30/gatti.suicide.ap/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/13 "2009-07-31T14:42:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [Brazilian police ruled that Gatti killed himself.](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/boxing/07/30/gatti.suicide.ap/index.html) :eek: Didn’t see that one coming. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-arturo-gatti/503002/14 "2009-07-31T14:46:58Z")
Unless she was some kind of crazy person, he must’ve been a bad bastard.