Shock in the boxing scene: Arturo Gatti Jr, the son of the late champion Arturo Gatti, has been found dead at the age of just 17.
Great sadness in boxing: Arturo Gatti Jr, the son of Canadian-Italian boxing legend Arturo “Thunder” Gatti, has died at the age of just 17. The news spread on social media on Wednesday and was confirmed by his trainer Moe Latif from the Ring 83 Boxing Club in Montreal.
“Sadly, it’s not a rumor and it’s not a joke – Arturo is dead,” Latif wrote on Instagram, asking for restraint during this difficult time. According to Chuck Zito, a close friend of the family, Gatti Jr. is said to have taken his own life in Mexico – tragically similar to his father, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Brazil in 2009.
Former world champion Jean Pascal, a friend of the family, was deeply saddened: “My heart is heavy. Life can sometimes be cruel. I send love and strength to the family. Rest in peace, young warrior.”
Gatti Jr. was an ambitious amateur boxer who trained in Montreal and wanted to follow in his famous father’s footsteps. His mother Amanda Gatti and his half-sister Sofia Bella, who was present at her father’s induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013, remain behind.
The boxing world mourns the loss of a young fighter who left us far too early.