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SF Chronicle: Former boxing champ Gatti found dead in Brazil


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This weird summer continues...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/11/sports/s144401D10.DTL&tsp=1

Former boxing champ Gatti found dead in Brazil

By STAN LEHMAN, Associated Press Writer

Saturday, July 11, 2009

(07-11) 14:44 PDT SAO PAULO, (AP) --

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 retired in 2007 with a record of 40-9 and 31 knockouts.

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That sucks...Wow, one of my favorite fighters. This guys would let the other guys cut his face off before he'd give up a fight. Micky Ward vs Gatti has gone down as one of the best fights in boxing history. Amazing fight, it was like a rocky movie or something. hate to hear this news.

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

And an earlier report indicated some blunt force was used. Maybe she used something to knock him out... and realized she'd have to kill him (choking his unconscious body) before he woke up?

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

And an earlier report indicated some blunt force was used. Maybe she used something to knock him out... and realized she'd have to kill him (choking his unconscious body) before he woke up?

That makes more sense.

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I was talking to Shane Langford (Freddie Roach's guy) this morning on facebook about this. I dont' know what is going on with these deaths all of a sudden. It seems like just yesterday that Alexis Arguello died. Boxing is not exempt sadly from all of these freak deaths.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4322072

SAO PAULO -- The wife of former boxing champion Arturo Gatti was charged with murder in his death at a posh seaside report, the New York Daily News reported Sunday.

Police said 23-year-old Amanda Rodrigues was taken into custody and held as a suspect 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.

The investigation was not complete, but Saraiva said authorities were preparing to present a formal accusation against Rodrigues, who denied being involved in her husband's death.

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.

Acelino "Popo" Freitas, a four-time world champion Brazilian boxer, told Globo TV's Web site on Saturday that he was a close friend of Gatti and his wife and that he "knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate."

The couple's 1-year-old son, who was unhurt, was with Rodrigues' sister, Saraiva said.

The 37-year-old Gatti, whose epic trilogy with Micky Ward branded him one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, retired in 2007 with a career record of 40-9 and 31 knockouts.

Known for his straightforward punching and granite-like chin, Gatti captured the junior welterweight title in 1995, when he defeated Tracy Harris Patterson in Atlantic City.

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