Whether you like it or not Arturo Gatti is getting into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF). No he's not one of the ten best fighters that appear on the 2013 ballot. As a matter of fact I doubt he will be among the ten best boxers on any ballot for as long as the hall of fame exists! So what!! It doesn't matter!!! He's getting in regardless. Deal with it. I mean really, what do you want? Justification? Fine! Here are 10 random reasons why Gatti deserves the hall of fame:
1. According to "The Bible of Boxing", Arturo Gatti has been involved in 4 fights of the year (1997 [Gabriel Ruelas], 1998 [Ivan Robinson I], 2002 [Mickey Ward I], and 2003 [Mickey Ward III]).
2. Gatti was robbed of FOTY in 1996 when he beat Wilson Rodriguez. For those of you with an argument for why Tyson-Holyfield 1 was a better fight than Gatti-Rodriguez....actually never mind, you don't exist.
3. Manny Pacquiao has 0 fights of the year.
4. Gatti was a recognized world champion in 2 weight divisions.
5. Tracy Harris Patterson (x2), Gabriel Ruelas, Calvin Grove, Mickey Ward (x2), Gianluca Branco, Leonard Dorin, Jesse James Leija, and Thomas Damgaard don't make up the worst winning resume in the IBHOF...
6. Gatti never actually lost to Mickey Ward. As Gatti-Ward 1 is widely regarded as fight of the decade (or at least first runner up after Corrales-Castillo 1) what's often overlooked is that Arturo was robbed blind. There is no margin of error where someone can legitimately give Ward round 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, or 10. Go ahead and score rounds 4 and 9 both 10-8 for Ward if you must, he still doesn't win. Gatti deserved nothing worse than a draw. Personally I had him winning 97-91.
7. The hall of fame is for the famous. Ever met a die-hard boxing fan that didn't know Thunder Gatti? No!
8. The Fight Game with Jim Lampley suddenly becomes more relevant.
9. Ever since Gatti retired you've been waiting for someone to fill his shoes. You're still searching.
10. You didn't even care that he was Canadian.
This piece was written with the intention to entertain, not formulate a logical, comprehensive argument for why Arturo Gatti should be a hall of famer. But I do mix in reality with the silliness, and it's not always obvious when I do it. Or sometimes it's too obvious and I'm actually joking... Enjoy the speculation.
Related: Gatti a no-brainer for Hall of Fame