The_budweiser Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Boxing legend Arturo "Thunder" Gatti has been dead for over two years now and his final fight was just over four years ago. At some point, the question must be asked and seriously considered: Does Arturo Gatti belong in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY? Technically, he will be eligible for induction five years after his final fight which was in July of 2007, but why wait until 2012 to start thinking about it? Clearly, Gatti will not be making an eligibility-threatening comeback so by all accounts he should be considered eligible right now, but does he deserve enshrinement? It goes without saying that Arturo Gatti was one of the most spectacularly exciting fighters of all time, and his many ring exploits truly are the stuff of legend. Miraculous comebacks, a slew of epic fights, pulling lost fights out of thin air with single shot KO's, and of course nobody will ever forget his memorable trilogy with Micky Ward, a trilogy which in and of itself earned two Ring Magazine "Fight of the Year" awards and produced quite possibly the greatest round in the history of boxing, the epic 9th round of their first fight. It really was an amazing career. But is all that enough for Gatti to overcome his Hall of Fame shortcomings - he lost nine fights despite winning forty, he never beat a truly great fighter, and what about the perception that Gatti possessed, at best, average boxing skills? Let's take a closer look. If you only look at Arturo Gatti's skill level in terms of basic elements like defense and other fundamentals, or the number of world titles he won (for the record, two), or the quality of opposition in his biggest wins, maybe you would say he does not deserve to be inducted, and you would have a reasonable argument but if you look at HOW Gatti fought (as the ultimate blood & guts warrior of his era), and consider how many epic ring wars and "Fight of the Year" quality fights he was involved in, well then maybe you would say yes, and you too would have a reasonable argument. I would contend that Arturo Gatti CLEARLY belongs in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and I believe that his premature death actually increases the likelihood of his induction, which is not to say that if he were alive today he would not deserve it. There is just something about dying young and what that does to any athlete's legacy. It tends to enhance it, particularly when that death is as mysterious and tragic as was Gatti's at the age of 37. As a side note, it's truly a shame that FIGHTS themselves, and by proxy the participants, can't be inducted to the IBHOF because the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy really deserves a special place in boxing history, as do both of the fighters involved. Gatti and Ward were involved in a combined five Ring Magazine Fights of the Year, two of which were against eachother. If Gatti is someday inducted into the IBHOF, it would not at all be surprising to see his friend & rival Micky Ward accepting the honor on his behalf. Some will argue that Arturo Gatti was not a "great" fighter by strict definition, and that he was in fact very average in his skills. The International Boxing Hall of Fame is reserved for boxing's very best they will argue, and I agree with this but I also believe that Gatti did display greatness in the ring, just not the typical kind we are used to seeing such as fighters winning so many world titles, or defending those titles so many times, or perhaps most importantly defeating other "great" fighters. Arturo Gatti's greatness must be measured and recognized in a totally different way. Think about it this way: "Great" fighters engage in consistently great fights, and it's not always about how much pure talent you have, or how technically skilled you are, or even how many alphabet titles you won. Sometimes it's just about what happens in that ring when the gloves fly, and how much a fighter is willing to give of himself, and very few ever gave more of themselves in a boxing ring than Arturo "Thunder" Gatti. Check out his fights against Wilson Rodriguez, Gabriel Ruelas, Ivan Robinson, and Micky Ward if there is any doubt about this. Gatti's "boxing skills", limited though they may have been, were more than simply the sum of his talents and easily recognizable accomplishments such as titles, and wins. Then there will be those who say that Arturo Gatti never beat a great fighter and that the two best fighters he ever fought, Oscar De La Hoya & Floyd Mayweather, beat him easily. That may be partly true but despite never beating a truly great fighter, Gatti really did beat some very outstanding fighters during his career. Arturo Gatti defeated Tracy Harris Patterson (twice), Calvin Grove, Gabriel Ruelas, Terron Millett, Micky Ward (twice), Gianluca Branco, Leonard Dorin, Thomas Damgaard (all of whom were undefeated until they ran into Gatti), and Jesse James Leija. And even though Mayweather made beating Gatti look easy, something he does to most everyone he fights, go ask Oscar De La Hoya how "easy" it really was to beat Gatti. It wasn't, despite how it may have looked. By rising from a crushing knockdown in the first round to continue fighting against a fighter he was so clearly overmatched and outgunned by, Arturo showed more in defeat against Oscar than most fighters show in victory. That was the essence of Arturo Gatti and his never say die approach to the sport of boxing. Only a select few in boxing history can really be compared to Arturo Gatti in terms of that do-or-die approach: Rocky Graziano, Matthew Saad Muhammad, and Bobby Chacon - all three are in the IBHOF by the way. Gatti was also incredibly famous and very popular for a lighter weight fighter who fought during the era of superstars like Tyson & Holyfield. With his thrilling throwback style, Gatti single-handedly put Atlantic City back on the map as a hub for big time boxing at a time when boxing in Atlantic City desperately needed it. That had to do with HOW Gatti fought, not who he beat, or who beat him. Win or lose, Gatti's fighting style was one of a kind, and people who love boxing took notice of it. The big question is, will the International Boxing Hall of Fame take notice of it and induct the man known as "The Human Highlight Reel" - the feeling here is that they will, and that when they do, it will be justified based on merit, and not based on sympathy or diminished standards, as some might claim when and if it happens. Yet despite all of this, some will still argue that Gatti simply did not have enough "skill" or "ability" to be considered for a place among boxing's immortals. Frankly, that is a very shortsighted, myopic way of looking at it, and it does not do justice to what Arturo Gatti truly contributed to the sport and accomplished in the ring. More than just fundamentals; the category of boxing "skills & abilities" also include intangibles like the ability to take a punch, the ability to rise from knockdowns, the ability to fight though pain & injury, and the ability to win fights when normal men would have long ago packed it in. Arturo Gatti was anything but a normal man. All of the above are skills that Gatti possessed in epic quantities. His fighting heart was truly legendary and some would say in a class all by itself. Isn't that what we expect from "great" fighters? Yes, of course Arturo "Thunder" Gatti belongs in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He was the real life ROCKY and there may never be another fighter like him. Rest in Peace Arturo, thanks for the memories and please know that your many fans hope to one day soon see you immortalized in Canastota. http://fitefansho.blogspot.com/ A writer who wants to submit articles on Ringnews24, Jeffrey Freeman. I'm sure he would love to read your feed back on the article and your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitefanSHO Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I am the author, thank you for posting this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davemurphy Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 It's going to be debated for the next three years and then go to the Voters in the Fall of 2014, I have no idea what the answer will be but I think the sentimentality of Arturo entrance will win out and he'll probably get in. Will it be a case of where the Voters voted with their hearts instead of their heads? There will be a contingent that's GOING to feel that way, and nothing anyone says will change their minds. In or not, Arturo Gatti will be one of the more controversial decisions the IBHOF will make. Are there other things to consider other than strictly the resume? Do we even want a Hall of Fame that just a simple paper with names on it, not taking into account perseverance,character, most of all effect on the game? Do we hold this debate just on Arturo, or are we going to see his forces point to past IBHOF mistakes and ask how they can be enshrined and Arturo left out? It's YOUR Hall of Fame, what do you expect from it? I'm pretty conservative, much like the Baseball Hall of Fame, and have always adopted this philosophy, if you have to think to yourself "'is he a Hall of Famer?" then to me, that means he probably isn't. As much as I loved watching his fights, I have to think with Arturo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Galveston Giant Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I personally think Gatti will stroll into the hall of fame but in all honesty he probably falls just short of the standard of fighter that should be inducted. He will always be remembered for his trilogy with Ward and his all action style, i liked watching him in his later days when he started boxing under McGirt too. The Hall of Fame is supposed to be only for the best of the best, but there's more than a few in there who probably shouldn't be so i've no problem at all with Arturo Gatti being inducted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapevine241 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 is his record better than barry mcguigan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Galveston Giant Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I personally don't think Barry McGuigan should have been inducted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitefanSHO Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Anyone care to critique the story itself? Is it good? well written? etc? That is text only version, on my blog and on KnockoutDigest.com, I spruce it up with pics and video. http://fitefansho.blogspot.com/2011/08/does-arturo-gatti-belong-in.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skav Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 After Stallone got in, I cannot begrudge Gatti, who gave much more than fake punches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitefanSHO Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 After Stallone got in, I cannot begrudge Gatti, who gave much more than fake punches. Gatti was the real life ROCKY! boxing// Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Galveston Giant Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Anyone care to critique the story itself? Is it good? well written? etc? That is text only version, on my blog and on KnockoutDigest.com, I spruce it up with pics and video. http://fitefansho.blogspot.com/2011/08/does-arturo-gatti-belong-in.html I thought it was a good piece fitefan and well written. A lot better than anything i could do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitefanSHO Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Thank you. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshDevilRob Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Good article fitefan. I personally think he should but we have our own Hall of Fame here and he only got 40% Yes votes so didn't make it in. Topic here and makes interesting reading. http://www.ringnews24boxingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=9714 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavpowell Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Not good enough, didn;t achieve anything that significant against anyone that significant. The HF should be for the most talented/accomplished fighters of all time, not just "he was real exciting" and I'm tiired of hearing people should get in because so and so is already in there. America already elected Dubyah, but that's not to say they should elect another warmongering witless moron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBride Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I didn't even know Gatti had been nominated on here and failed. Shame really. All i'll say is this, if dickhead fighters, and their even bigger dickhead fans start spewing out ticket, and PPV sales to try to justify their greatness, then Gatti has to be admitted, on the strength of the money he generated in Atlantic City alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapevine241 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Anyone care to critique the story itself? Is it good? well written? etc? That is text only version, on my blog and on KnockoutDigest.com, I spruce it up with pics and video. http://fitefansho.blogspot.com/2011/08/does-arturo-gatti-belong-in.html yes, well written bravo// Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleman370 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 on accomplishments alone, gatti does not deserve a place in the hall of fame, that much seems obvious. however, a fighter with his character deserves a spot in some way shape or form. i know Siren feels more or less this way, that fights belong as well as fighters. gatti should be honored for bringing us, the fans, so much to cheer about and so many memories. his name (or bust if it's like the NFL or MLB) doesn't deserve to sit with sugar ray robinson, or muhammad ali, or harry greb or henry armstrong, but there must be a way in which the hall remembers him as the highest honor and archiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavpowell Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 All i'll say is this, if dickhead fighters, and their even bigger dickhead fans start spewing out ticket, and PPV sales to try to justify their greatness, then Gatti has to be admitted, on the strength of the money he generated in Atlantic City alone. Oh dear, worried Pacquiao might make it in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshDevilRob Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I didn't even know Gatti had been nominated on here and failed. Shame really. All i'll say is this, if dickhead fighters, and their even bigger dickhead fans start spewing out ticket, and PPV sales to try to justify their greatness, then Gatti has to be admitted, on the strength of the money he generated in Atlantic City alone. You commented in the topic. grin// Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBride Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 All i'll say is this, if dickhead fighters, and their even bigger dickhead fans start spewing out ticket, and PPV sales to try to justify their greatness, then Gatti has to be admitted, on the strength of the money he generated in Atlantic City alone. Oh dear, worried Pacquiao might make it in? Pay attention and keep up dear boy. Dont you know they have recently added a " Catchweight " honours catagory, so that the little chappie is a future shoo in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleman370 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 All i'll say is this, if dickhead fighters, and their even bigger dickhead fans start spewing out ticket, and PPV sales to try to justify their greatness, then Gatti has to be admitted, on the strength of the money he generated in Atlantic City alone. Oh dear, worried Pacquiao might make it in? Pay attention and keep up dear boy. Dont you know they have recently added a " Catchweight " honours catagory, so that the little chappie is a future shoo in? despite your protestations, which i'm sure are well thought out and wouldn't dare insult a talented fighter, pacquiao is a shoo in despite the last three years or so of his career being useless. wins over barerra, morales and marquez (however disputed the decision), go a looong way towards the hall of fame in addition to whatever titles he picked up along the way (i can't for the life of me keep track, no would i bother) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamasadlittleboy Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Pacquiao is a shoe-n first time ballot entry, much like Hopkins and Mayweather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBride Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 All i'll say is this, if dickhead fighters, and their even bigger dickhead fans start spewing out ticket, and PPV sales to try to justify their greatness, then Gatti has to be admitted, on the strength of the money he generated in Atlantic City alone. Oh dear, worried Pacquiao might make it in? Pay attention and keep up dear boy. Dont you know they have recently added a " Catchweight " honours catagory, so that the little chappie is a future shoo in? despite your protestations, which i'm sure are well thought out and wouldn't dare insult a talented fighter, pacquiao is a shoo in despite the last three years or so of his career being useless. wins over barerra, morales and marquez (however disputed the decision), go a looong way towards the hall of fame in addition to whatever titles he picked up along the way (i can't for the life of me keep track, no would i bother) Thankyou. That is all I have been trying to get people to try to understand over the last year or so. We could debate forever the merits of his wins over EM and MAB at the respective stages of their careers at the time he beat them, but TBH i just cant be bothered. What I will say is he is the epitome of hype over substance, and the sad part is, he is too stupid to know he is being exploited by the peple who are using his East Asian origin as their means to market him. People are fed up with the rags to riches black guy fables, and the Great White Hope / Dope, so they are prime for the East Asian hero nonsense. Just look at who he has fought and beaten at 135 and above, and the circumstances under which they fought. It does not take a rocket scientist to work out he is the best example of marketing since Coke a Cola used to put cocaine in their product to get people to want more of it. Never underestimate the sheer stupidity of the general public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAZZ-MCFC Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 No. Personally i don't believe Gatti should be inducted but i do believe he will be inducted. My personal reasons for his non entry as i posted in our own HOF Gatti topic: i think this may be more of a sympathy vote than anything, he lost virtually every big fight he was in! two decent wins over Ward but losses in big fights against Floyd, Oscar, Baldomir and Ward great warrior but sorry it's a no from me. i do think the IBHOF will vote him in though. They've proven they'll vote virtually anybody in to their HOF with the Rocky entry. Also a lot of people will take the sympathy vote for his induction and a lot of people, as some have mentioned on here, will want him inducted simply because he's one of the biggest warriors ever to have competed in the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBride Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 No. Personally i don't believe Gatti should be inducted but i do believe he will be inducted. My personal reasons for his non entry as i posted in our own HOF Gatti topic: i think this may be more of a sympathy vote than anything, he lost virtually every big fight he was in! two decent wins over Ward but losses in big fights against Floyd, Oscar, Baldomir and Ward great warrior but sorry it's a no from me. i do think the IBHOF will vote him in though. They've proven they'll vote virtually anybody in to their HOF with the Rocky entry. Also a lot of people will take the sympathy vote for his induction and a lot of people, as some have mentioned on here, will want him inducted simply because he's one of the biggest warriors ever to have competed in the sport. Then it becomes a " Cake and Eat It " issue. People simply cant ust their own pathetic criteria to pick and choose who they want. If success is the criteria, or who you fought, and avoided, then half the inductees can fuck off out of it. If popularity is the criteria, Gatti is a shoo in. The guy gave his all, win, lose or draw, and people recognised that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavpowell Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Plenty of journeymen give their all every week - should they be inducted? The Hall of Fame has several inductees who don't really belong there - given the chance I'd evict a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now