Arturo Gatti the former champion who was allegedly murdered by his wife back in July was honored this past Saturday evening down in Atlantic City New Jersey. The Atlantic City Convention Center/Hall where Gatti had some of his most memorable fights and established record gate receipts..
Main Events, promoter of Gatti, had an appropriate tribute to their late champion staging a six-bout boxing card, video tributes and proclamations including a street in Atlantic City now named Arturo Gatti, His last nine fights were at Convention Hall on the boardwalk and Gatti fights hold a record of drawing over 100,000 fans.
“When he went to war he went to war,” said Steve Martinez about Gatti. The resident of Castle Hill, a New York City Golden Gloves champion, opened the evening with a second round TKO over Stanley Harvey and set the tone for a great evening in honor of Gatti, the champion who had some of his legendary fights on the boardwalk.
Martinez, a light middleweight is now 2-0 as a professional after his latest win. He quickly disposed his opponent with a left hook. “It was an honor to open the show and have a knockout,” said Martinez who saw the three Gatti-Mickey Ward fights on video.
The Gatti-Ward fights became a historic trilogy in the sport and cemented Gatti’s legacy that will eventually be rewarded with Hall of Fame status.
e-mail Rich Mancuso: [email protected] .