Arturo Gatti found dead, wife detained~ update 2

update Monday, July 12

*Amanda Rodrigues was arrested Sunday, now her sister Flavia, her attorney, and police have chimed in with their theories. First Amanda:

According to police, Rodrigues told them she thought her husband had committed suicide or that someone had entered the apartment and killed him.

Next, Flavia:

Rodrigues' sister, Flavia, told the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo there is "no way she could have strangled a man of that size."

Well sure there is. Police have said that Gatti was found with a head injury from a sharp object. Add to that, he was drunk - it probably wouldn't take much force. Amanda should find a better lawyer, if all he can come up with is the same lame excuse as Flavia.

"She is fragile, young and skinny -- how could she kill a boxing champion?" Avelino said. "When she awoke, she presumed he had committed suicide. But she had nothing to do with it."

The cops are not buying it.

Teixeira said police do not think anyone else entered the apartment and killed Gatti -- he said there were no signs of forced entry and electronic locks indicated nobody else had entered the room aside from Rodrigues and Gatti.

The investigator said Rodrigues told them she thought her husband had committed suicide or that someone had entered the apartment and killed him. Teixeira ruled out both scenarios.

end of update 1~


update 2 ~


July18,2009
Gatti’s circle speaks

The Toronto Star provides a glimpse into the stormy relationship between Amanda and Arturo. The story paints Rodrigues as an insecure and vindictive woman. One example is the recounting of an incident that occurred at party. While discussing children, Amanda Rodrigues referred to Arturo’s daughter from a previous relationship, as “retarded” and that she looked “like a mongoloid”.

According to those interviewed, in addition to attacking an innocent child, Amanda Rodrigues also enjoyed spreading rumours about Gatti’s siblings. Some believe she was only after Arturo’s money. Gatti’s lawyer, John Lynch:

Two days after signing a pre-nuptial agreement, and then getting married in Las Vegas, Rodrigues began insisting he cancel it, he said. A few weeks later, the couple entered Lynch's office and Gatti asked for a copy. "He made a show of ripping up the copy in front of her, so she was happy," Lynch said. (The dramatic act carried no force of law.)

Rodrigues also complained about the amount of child support Gatti provided for his daughter, Sofia. When Amanda approached her husband, asking him to finance her own fashion line, Gatti refused.

Finally, she wanted to start her own fashion line. "Gimme a break," Lynch said. "I think he was smart enough to say, `I'm not giving you millions to start a fashion line because you have a whim.'"

Much more at the Star’s page.
end of update 2




Rest in peace, champ.

Sad news out of Brazil. Fan favourite Arturo Gatti, 37,  has been found dead at the Porto de Galinhas resort in northeastern Brazil. The two time world champion arrived at the posh resort on Friday, with wife Amanda Rodrigues, 23,  and their 10 month young – son, Arturo Jr.

Rodrigues discovered the Canadian fighter lifeless early Saturday morning and alerted authorities. Foul play was suspected from the start of the investigation. Gatti was found in his underwear with blood stains on his neck and  the back of his head. In an initial police statement, police investigator Edilson Alves told The Associated Press that it was unclear how the 37-year-old died. "It is still too early to say anything concrete, although it is all very strange," Alves said. 

Also found at the scene was a bloodied purse strap which was used to strangle Gatti, according to a police spokeswoman.

Rodrigues was taken into custody Sunday after giving contradicting statements. Investigators also wondered how the woman, originally from Brazil, could spend 10 hours in the same hotel room and not notice her husband was dead. One of the couple’s friends said their marriage was in trouble.

Four-time world champion boxer Acelino (Popo) Freitas, who is from Brazil, told Globo TV's website that he was close to the couple and that he "knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate."

Arturo “Thunder” Gatti was known as a “blood and guts” warrior in the Boxing world and I was, am, a fan of the way he fought. He was by no means a technical fighter, in fact his defensive abilities were non-existent, but you knew when he stepped into the ring he was gonna leave it all there, no regrets, and I admire that. Of the half dozen or so fights I watched, I don’t remember one where Gatti wasn’t cut, his face bloodied early, and thinking, “this is going to be a short one.” But he had other ideas, much to the chagrin of his opponents.

Gatti received Ring Magazine's “fight of the year” honours four times throughout his career. His professional record ended with

• 40 wins
• 31 by knockout
• 9 losses
  

Some reaction


Micky Ward

“I can’t believe it,” Ward said by phone from his home in Lowell, Mass. “I really can’t believe it. I don’t know what to think or what to say. [Actor] Chuck Zito just called me about it around five o’clock and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I know it happened and it’s still hard to believe.

“I’m walking around in a daze. I’m just dazed by it all. You fight a guy, you go to war with them, and there is a respect there. But with me and Arturo, it was greater. There was a real bond between us. It’s why hearing this, hearing what happened to Arturo is like a piece of you is gone, because we shared so much of everything in the ring. We were friends, close friends.” 

Main Events President Kathy Duva

“I’ve been through a lot in life and I’ve learned how to keep it together, but this is a tough day, it’s a challenge,”
“His entire boxing career he fought with us; we’ve known him since he was 17,” 
“It’s just an unspeakable tragedy.”

“I was sitting with him at the postfight press conference — I can’t remember which one — and I looked at his hand and it was three times the normal size,” Duva said. “He gave me this goofy grin and he said: ‘Yeah, I know. We’ll party tonight and I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow.’ ”

Many considered Gatti reckless, in and out of the ring. I’m guessing that was part of his appeal as well.

Some highlights