SaddoBoxing Writer\’s Predict: Arturo \”Thunder\” Gatti vs. \”Pretty Boy\” Floyd Mayweather.

This fight card represents the end of the light welterweight business for this half of 2005 as in addition to the main event, WBA champion Vivian Harris faces Carlos Maussa on the under-card. Arturo Gatti has nothing left to prove in terms of being a true fighter, he has done it all in the

ring. What Gatti can prove is that he is the man to finally defeat the seemingly undefeatable whiz-kid Floyd Mayweather Jr. Question marks hang over Mayweather who has never stood in with a physically stronger fighter and been able to overwhelm him. Expectation is high on Mayweather to produce a performance to become a world champion in his third successive weight class, but it will not likely be as easy as he thinks. When all is said and done, we will have witnessed a great night of boxing. Whether Gatti remains the hardcore hero or Mayweather soars ever higher as one of boxing’s untouchables are all questions we are eager to have answered.

Check out what the SaddoBoxing writer’s think as we wrap up our preview coverage of this exciting fight.

David Shipman: After all the hype, and all the trash talking it all comes down to two guys in a small ring. In a battle for the ultimate respect, Arturo Gatti (39-6, 30KOs) battles bigmouth mythical pound-for-pound king and three-division champion, Floyd Mayweather (33-0, 22KOs). At twenty-seven, Mayweather sets out to be the youngest four-division champion ever. What will happen when a pure boxer/speedster battles our generation’s blood-and-guts warrior “Thunder” Gatti? What many people do not realize is Mayweather has not lost a round in his last three fights and his eye-popping hand-speed can make any opponent look silly. One would expect that the only way Gatti can win is with a lucky punch, but I think it is the year of the underdog and Gatti will come out victorious. Because of Floyd’s well-documented hand problems I don’t think he can go punch for punch with Gatti and since Gatti is the WBC champion (not emeritus) and has been a revamped fighter since his loss to Oscar de la Hoya, it will be hard for Floyd to carry his chin up to 140-pounds.

Plus, all the talk about the speed factor is really moot. For example, look at Shane Mosley who was the supposed fastest fighter of the nineties and the beginning of 2000. All people had to do was crowd him and force him to throw on the inside and Mosley was exposed as a limited fighter and destroying his father’s theory of “power-boxing.” What Mayweather and his uncle Roger have to realize is that what will Floyd do if he has to adapt to changes in the ring because he has not had to do that yet, with the one exception being Jose Louis Castillo, against whom Mayweather was given a gift decision in their first fight. One other point is the strength factor. Arturo Gatti looks much more chiseled and as strong as I have ever seen him, he’s a junior welterweight but looks like a power-lifter and do not underestimate his speed either as well as his boxing skills. Mayweather does not have the chin to withstand twelve rounds of pounding from Gatti which is why I think that Floyd will get worried and abandon his game plan of just pure boxing. Gatti wins a split decision, with Floyd’s weaknesses finally exposed.

Jim Cawkwell: Floyd Mayweather captures titles, not hearts. The wonderkid from Grand Rapids, Michigan dazzles us with speed and skill, but at the expense of the adoration that Arturo Gatti has earned. Mayweather can never win the hearts of the people. He is the arrogant villain to Gatti’s working class hero. Mayweather pitches himself as the sport’s greatest fighter, but mires himself in an endless parade of legal troubles. He represents a luxurious lifestyle and behaves in a brash and disrespectful manner that many fans cannot embrace. He boxed safely to decisions against Jose Luis Castillo, meticulously destroyed Diego Corrales and dismantled Jesus Chavez. Mayweather’s supposedly pre-destined route to boxing greatness remained unaltered by any of the aforementioned warriors, nor sufficiently challenged by anyone for that matter. Until now.

There were times when Arturo Gatti’s behavior outside of boxing was equally baffling. He did not take care of his body and the wild rumors circulating about his excessive lifestyle probably held more than a hint of truth. There were times that he gave all he had, but took more than he could afford from fighters such as Angel Manfredy and Oscar de la Hoya. In 2005, Gatti takes nothing for granted. He takes care of himself, and perpetuates the resurrection of his neglected boxing ability through the guidance of Buddy McGirt. He is a champion again. However, for all Gatti’s wars and entertainment value through the years, not many fans seriously rate him as a pound-for-pound entrant. In beating Mayweather, Gatti has the chance to change that forever.

It’s a dog eat dog world, and at 140-pounds, Gatti has the bigger teeth. Mayweather slipped into safety mode when pressed by a 135-pound Jose Luis Castillo and being the challenger for the title, it seems inconceivable that Mayweather could find a way through twelve rounds with a force as insistent as Gatti and leave unscathed. So what happens when Mayweather must take some punishment? If genetics has anything to do with it, “Pretty Boy” may have an ugly time of it before the fight ends. Both Floyd Senior and Uncle Roger suffered early career knockouts that perhaps influenced their attitude in later fights. Mayweather Jr. may only care to win, therefore he can wait on the outside, relying on Gatti’s irresistible will to fight that will open up decisive counter-punching opportunities. If Mayweather wants to beat Gatti, if he cares about how the boxing community perceives him, he will have to win convincingly, and that means taking chances.

Though he often chooses otherwise, Gatti can exert the patience and control to stick to boxing and has shown the ability to counter-punch effectively. This complicates things for Mayweather. I think that this fight will tell us a lot about Mayweather because Gatti has already proven his abilities in the ring with many versatile performances. Mayweather can try to win on the outside by using his speed and ring generalship to keep away from the action, but if he does, the writing is on the wall for him as there are nothing but absolute monsters ready to fight him in the future and his days a top fighter in the light welterweight division may be numbered. I feel that he has an ultra-competitive spirit and that he will rise to the challenge, ensuring that the Floyd Mayweather we see on Saturday night is the best Floyd Mayweather we have ever seen. He will fight defensively when necessary and surprise the boxing world by standing in with Gatti more than most would think he would dare. Then, with that pinpoint accuracy and speed, he will sting Gatti repeatedly while strategically moving his body away from Gatti’s most powerful punches, riding the effect of them and neutralizing Gatti’s best weapons. Gatti’s weight problems may play into the result here as he may run out of steam while the superbly conditioned Mayweather could fight all night. Mayweather will steal the judges’ eyes over the distance while sufficiently impressing a greater portion of the boxing world by trying to fight with authority against a much stronger opponent.

Sergio Martinez: Fight fans! It has been a great first half of this year for our beloved sport, and this weekend will be no different. This Saturday night, live on HBO pay-per-view, it is “Thunder vs. Lighting” as Arturo “Thunder” Gatti defends his WBC 140-pound belt against “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather. Let me just say that I’m going with my heart on this fight. Conventional wisdom dictates that the younger, faster, vastly more talented Mayweather should utilize his boxing skills, and God given talent to make an easy night for himself. The difference is that Floyd has done way too much trash talking, and people are now expecting him to deliver on his threats of completely beating and destroying Arturo on Saturday night. “Pretty Boy” will have to stand and fight toe-to-toe, which will turn into a war of attrition. Gatti may not be able to compete in the talent category, but the same can be said of Mayweather in the heart and guts categories. I’m sticking with “Thunder” by ninth round TKO. There are my two cents fight fans.

William Wolfrum: If you are a boxing fan, you have to love Arturo Gatti. It’s in the bylaws. And what’s not to love? Gatti’s got tons of heart, is tough, resilient and has heavy hands. Unfortunately, Mayweather is going to lay a beating down on him. As this fight gets closer, my excitement for it is being replaced by trepidation. Sorry, Gatti fans, your boy is just going to get wrecked. Out-boxing Micky Ward is nice and all, but I have serious doubts that Gatti will land more than thirty punches against “Pretty Boy.” He better hope one of them is massive. Prediction: Mayweather by a brutal fifth round stoppage.

James MacDonald: I’ll be in the minority with this one, but I just have a feeling that Gatti will pull out a victory this weekend. His boxing skills are highly underrated and his ability to dish out and absorb punishment sets him apart. Should he catch Mayweather–and I think he will– it will be curtains.

I’ll go for Harris by knockout in the middle rounds Although underrated, Harris should have too much for Maussa. It’s not really the sort of fight to cause the rest of the division to sit up and take notice, but it should serve as a nice warm up for the bigger fights down the road.

Greig Johnston: Mayweather will be too slick for Arturo Gatti. He was too good for Corrales, Castillo and Chavez, and I think that they are all better fighters than Gatti, even though Gatti is naturally bigger. I understand that Gatti is having problems making the weight, and the thought of catching a speedy Floyd Mayweather Jr. must be a weight-drained fighter’s worst nightmare. I hope I am wrong, but Floyd wins by big unanimous decision.

Jonny Townsend: Mayweather by TKO in six. I’d love to see Gatti win as it would mean a BIG, no make that HUGE fight against Hatton in a battle of the punchers, but no matter how I look at it, Mayweather wins. Mayweather has a good chin, amazing skills and a cool, cool head. If Gatti makes it difficult for him, Floyd can dance and jab. If Gatti comes rushing in, he gets picked off. If Gatti tries to box, he gets out-boxed. This is boxing and anything can happen but I have to go with the younger, quicker, more skilled man in six fairly easy rounds.

Shaun Rico LaWhorn: Ok, this is the final fight of the junior welterweights and we will be treated to top talent. With this fight, including Harris on the card, every junior welterweight belt has been on the line in little over a month period. Ricky Hatton made his mark and Miguel Cotto stepped up. Now, we are about to see the most talented boxer, Floyd Mayweather take on the most ambitious boxer, Arturo Gatti. We have all been witness to Floyd’s public campaign on disrespecting, belittling and attempting to get into Gatti’s mind frame. Gatti has displayed a cool and collective attitude towards all of this. Is it tunnel vision? I think Mayweather is saying things to throw the press off, help sell some tickets (this is Mayweather’s first pay-per-view.) and position himself into a higher payday. He has been training hard, so that goes against him judging Gatti as a C+ fighter. A prepared Floyd will enter that ring and all the entertainment games he played outside of the ring will be gone. Gatti will enter this fight with a clear agenda: he has to beat Mayweather. The early rounds will be a feeling out for Mayweather; he will test Gatti’s speed. Gatti has to step it up to a medium pace, he is not going to tire Floyd and this is not a marathon, it is a boxing match. Around the sixth or seventh round, Gatti will have to take a chance and go for a big shot, hopefully opening up the door for more power shots. I see this fight going the distance, with Mayweather winning by decision. An outstanding boxing match, we will witness and Gatti will define the word “test” for Mayweather.

Rich Saavedra: “I am an A+ fighter and he is a C+ fighter; the guy is a bum and I am going to expose him!” Those were “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather’s exact words on an HBO special that was made to build up the Gatti-Mayweather mega-fight on June 25. On one hand, I agree with Mayweather claiming that he is an A+ fighter, but on the other hand what I don’t agree on, is how Floyd keeps disrespecting Arturo by saying that he is only a C+ fighter and a bum no less! Well “Pretty Boy,” Arturo “Thunder” Gatti is very much an A+ fighter as yourself and may I add, an A+ brawler to put the icing on the cake. Also, Gatti is nowheres near being a bum simply due to the fact of how he has overcome his dark days in order to change his lifestyle and dedicate 110% to boxing while staying clear of any kind of distractions. Ever since doing so, Arturo Gatti has clambered his way back to the top of the food chain and has become the WBC junior welterweight champion in the process. Now to me, that is the complete opposite of a C+ bum and if I were “Pretty Boy” Floyd, I would give Arturo Gatti the respect he deserves in the ring because if he doesn’t and decides to treat Arturo like a C+ fighter on Saturday night, Floyd is going to be seeing ZZZ’s instead of C’s as Arturo “Thunder” Gatti WILL wind up knocking the “Pretty Boy” out! So on that note, since we all know that Floyd Mayweather doesn’t have an ounce of respect for Arturo Gatti, nor will he ever, it makes it that much easier to predict the winner on June 25th.

Arturo “Thunder” Gatti victorious by a fifth round knockout!!

Jim Cawkwell can be reached at jimcawkwell@yahoo.co.uk