Boxer Arturo Gatti reportedly found dead in Brazilian hotel room

[MessiahRp]

Source: ESPN

SAO PAULO -- Police in Brazil say former boxing champion Arturo Gatti has been found dead in a hotel room in the northeastern state of Pernambuco.

Police investigator Edislon Alves told The Associated Press that the body of the former junior welterweight champ was discovered Saturday morning in the posh seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas, where he arrived on Friday with his wife and 1-year-old son.

Alves said police were investigating. It was unclear how the 37-year-old Canadian died.

A spokeswoman for the public safety department said Gatti's wife and son were unhurt.

"There were no bullet or stab wounds on his body, but police did find blood stains on the floor," the spokeswoman said.

Gatti won the United States Boxing Association junior lightweight title and International Boxing Federation's world junior lightweight title.

Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs) was best known for his all-action style, which was epitomized in his classic trilogy with Micky Ward in 2002 and 2003.

-more at link...

Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4321150

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Gatti was one of the gutsiest fighters I ever saw and his trilogy with Mickey Ward was the epitome of what the sport should be. Not to mention from all accounts the guy was all class. RIP Arturo.

Rp

[sandnsea]

1. Aw geez, this is awful

We just lost Arguello, now this. WTF? Gatti was such a tremendous force, pure heart. This is unreal.

[Berry Cool]

2. Very sad.

Sounds like it may have been another case of Brazilian crime against a wealthy foreigner.

[chatnoir]

3. How sad :(

Sounds like foul play - blood at the scene and he was to testify this week in the lawsuit against the NY State Athletic Commission...

[Swede]

4. He was in some of the best boxing matches I've ever watched.

RIP.

[chatnoir]

5. "Police detain wife of former boxing champion Gatti"

"Police said 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues was taken into custody after contradictions in her interrogation. Gatti’s body was found early Saturday in a hotel room at the Porto de Galinhas resort in northeastern Brazil.

The former junior welterweight champion was apparently strangled with the strap of a purse, which was found at the scene with blood stains, said Milena Saraiva, a spokeswoman for the Pernambuco state civil police. She told The Associated Press that the Canadian also had a head injury.

..........

Police said Rodrigues, a Brazilian, could not explain how she spent nearly 10 hours in the room without noticing that Gatti was already dead.

Police were investigating witness reports that the couple fought and Gatti was drunk when he returned to his room Friday night, Saraiva said, adding that police were told the pair were extremely jealous of each other and that he constantly complained of her clothing when she traveled to Brazil."

More at http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ap-gatti-death&prov=ap&type=lgns

[geomon666]

6. That's messed up. n/t

[Brooklyns_Finest]

7. HBO Loved Gatti

Sad to hear that Gatti is dead. He took a beating in his last match out (I think it was Mayweather who beat him).

If it is true that his wife killed him then athletes need to watch out. First McNair and his chick and now this. Best to just start using prostitutes, because the women they are getting involved with are just crazy.

[Blue_Tires]

8. reports now say Gatti was killed in his sleep

just like McNair....

[chatnoir]

9. Police are now saying he was stabbed as well

Brazilian cops say there's no way anyone but Arturo Gatti's wife could have entered the luxurious apartment where the boxer was killed - but the sexy ex-stripper insists she's innocent.

"It was technically impossible for a third person to have been in the flat," lead investigator Moises Teixeira said Monday.

"The investigation isn't finished, but we continue to think she did this alone."

Teixeira said there were no signs of forced entry and electronic locks indicated nobody else had entered the rented room Friday, aside from Gatti and his 23-year-old wife, Amanda Carine Barbosa Rodrigues.

Cops released a photo of what they believe to be the murder weapons - a bloody purse strap used to strangle the boxing great and a knife used to stab him in the back of the head.

The former stripper was arrested Sunday for the murder and is being held in the city of Recife near Porto de Galinhas, the seaside resort in northeastern Pernambuco state, where they were vacationing.

Photos and more at http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/07/13/2009-07-13_gatti.html

[Blue_Tires]

10. very sad

not a good way to go...