By Geno McGahee
On July 11th, 2009, the world lost one of the most exciting boxers ever to lace up the gloves. Arturo “Thunder” Gatti electrified audiences with his blood and guts style, quickly becoming one of the biggest attractions in boxing. He was so full of life that when the word got out that he committed suicide in Brazil, a shockwave was sent across the globe.
KILLED IN BRAZIL? THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF ARTURO “THUNDER” GATTI, written by Jimmy Tobin, is an account of the life and death of the fighter and there are no punches pulled. This is not a love letter to Gatti. This is a serious look at his career, the turmoil, the difficult marriage and how it all ended.
Gatti, known for wars in the ring with the likes of Mickey Ward, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, JR., the Italian multi-weight division champion was a superhero, but the book shows his darker side along with the bitter lawsuits between the Gatti family and widow, Amanda.
After reading KILLED IN BRAZIL? THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF ARTURO “THUNDER” GATTI, I couldn’t help but to think back about the career of the fighter. I thought about how his energy made me feel and how much enjoyment I got out of watching his go toe to toe in the ring. When I first heard that Gatti ended his life, I had a hard time believing it. When things like that happen overseas, it’s easy to suspect foul play, but this mystery will remain a mystery with two sides of the debate certain in their positions.
I highly recommend KILLED IN BRAZIL? THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF ARTURO “THUNDER” GATTI. It did a great job of introducing the fighter to non-boxing fans, bringing the reader through a journey and ending with speculation and experts on both sides of the matter. Jimmy Tobin did a great job painting a picture, presenting available evidence and statements from those around Gatti. I really liked this one.
