Is Arturo Gatti Hall of Fame worthy ??

This debate keeps cropping up in Ring magazine time and time again


In my opinion yes he should be for the pure entertainment value he provided (and damn near guaranteed every time he was on a bill). He is one of my top 5 favourite fighters of last 20 years.

Traditionalists point to his lack of talent and achievement at world class level to say he is not worthy.

Entry to the hall seems to have got easier over the years - I wasn't too sure about our own Barry Mcguigan when he got in - but Gatti is deserving of entry

when he becomes eligible of course

thoughts

ps have tried to create a poll but not sure if done it right :confused:

It's the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Skill.

He had one of the most memorable trilogies in boxing history and his heart was legendary. Resounding yes for me.

The Hall Of Fame is a place for those who have made a real impact on the sport.

Did Arturo Gatti make an impact? Well How about 4 Fights of the year in a 7 year span, numerous runner up fights also.

He did have skills and would give a real fight to anyone who was not "elite". He also won a couple belts. Along with Holyfield, he is probably the most exciting fighter to lace on the gloves in the past 20 years.


If that does not deserve a spot, I don't know what does.

yea hes HOF material. especially since he had 3 great fights with Ward that are unforgetable so yea he is.

Exactly, there aren't many people who did more for the sport then Gatti during Gatti's era.

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Originally Posted by amat

Exactly, there aren't many people who did more for the sport then Gatti during Gatti's era.

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Exactly. He is the epitome of the "Blood and Guts Warrior". He was more old school than old school. He has such an enormous following, that would not leave his side no matter if he won or lost. He gave everything he had to the sport and left nothing to spare.

theres no question he is, its a no brainer..

While he'll never be a sugar ray.. people say it isnt the hall of skill .. but damn.. do you know how good it takes to even be a guy who wins one world title and loses it in his first defense.. the man was very skilled..

he is just an all out legend no question, his legacy will live on forever

No he isn't everytime he stepped up against the elite he lost, his most exciting fights were against lower class opposition. Just because he was an exciting fighter means nothing.

Because if thats the case then any exciting fighter should be in the HOF. I think the HOF should be for great fighters who beat great fighters, or made many title defenses or whatever they did great to make them a HOF fighter.

Arturo Gatti i hate to say it was a good fighter but thats it, he was never close to being elite in his division. And he never beat a great fighter.

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Originally Posted by kingfrnk

yea hes HOF material. especially since he had 3 great fights with Ward that are unforgetable so yea he is.

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But what has that got to do with anything ? the fact that all his great fights come against lower class opposition like Micky Ward speaks volumes. Since when do all exciting fighters just get a free pass into HOF ?

So because Micky Ward was an exciting fighter and was in many FOTY candidates. Does he deserve to be in the HOF aswell ? because surely he done as much for the sport as Arturo Gatti did. Going by your logic ?

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Originally Posted by leftylee number 1 groupie

No he isn't everytime he stepped up against the elite he lost, his most exciting fights were against lower class opposition. Just because he was an exciting fighter means nothing.

Because if thats the case then any exciting fighter should be in the HOF. I think the HOF should be for great fighters who beat great fighters, or made many title defenses or whatever they did great to make them a HOF fighter.

Arturo Gatti i hate to say it was a good fighter but thats it, he was never close to being elite in his division. And he never beat a great fighter.

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See you are confusing the Hall Of Fame with the Hall Of Skill. Did Arturo make an impact on the sport? He sure did.

He is a two time world champion, who was involved in the most exciting fights of his era. He basically carried the sport for quite a while. He is known as the Human Highlight Reel for a reason. It is not always about being the "elite". He is and will always be larger than life. He brought so many fans to the sport. In 30 years from now, people will talk about him more than the "elites" that shared the ring with him.

The HOF is there as a token. It is there to recognize not only achievements, but also gives credit to anyone who respected the sport, promoted the sport to new heights and gave every ounce they could.

Name any current fighter who has given more to the sport? I cannot think of any.

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Originally Posted by Deanrw

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Originally Posted by leftylee number 1 groupie

No he isn't everytime he stepped up against the elite he lost, his most exciting fights were against lower class opposition. Just because he was an exciting fighter means nothing.

Because if thats the case then any exciting fighter should be in the HOF. I think the HOF should be for great fighters who beat great fighters, or made many title defenses or whatever they did great to make them a HOF fighter.

Arturo Gatti i hate to say it was a good fighter but thats it, he was never close to being elite in his division. And he never beat a great fighter.

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See you are confusing the Hall Of Fame with the Hall Of Skill. Did Arturo make an impact on the sport? He sure did.

He is a two time world champion, who was involved in the most exciting fights of his era. He basically carried the sport for quite a while. He is known as the Human Highlight Reel for a reason. It is not always about being the "elite". He is and will always be larger than life. He brought so many fans to the sport. In 30 years from now, people will talk about him more than the "elites" that shared the ring with him.

The HOF is there as a token. It is there to recognize not only achievements, but also gives credit to anyone who respected the sport, promoted the sport to new heights and gave every ounce they could.

Name any current fighter who has given more to the sport? I cannot think of any.

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hmm i was gonna say that. but gatti is HOF for sure he is a well known fighter he gave it all he had and even if he did lose his big fights against ivan robinson, ODLF, and PBF etc he will still be remembered a warrior in the ring and thats is wats gonna get him in the HOF.

Gatti was an outstanding fighter at 130. At that weight, he had skill, speed, and great power. At that weight, he didn't lose when he stepped up. He beat Tracy Paterson twice and Gab Ruelas. That's not HoF material, but at the time, he was one of the best SFW's in the world. He started losing when he stepped up in weight. He still managed to grab a belt at LWW, and he gave us some of the best battles we've seen in the last 10 years.

Two division champion. Made fights that helped keep boxing relevant. He gets my vote.

No.

























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Originally Posted by leftylee number 1 groupie

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Originally Posted by kingfrnk

yea hes HOF material. especially since he had 3 great fights with Ward that are unforgetable so yea he is.

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But what has that got to do with anything ? the fact that all his great fights come against lower class opposition like Micky Ward speaks volumes. Since when do all exciting fighters just get a free pass into HOF ?

So because Micky Ward was an exciting fighter and was in many FOTY candidates. Does he deserve to be in the HOF aswell ? because surely he done as much for the sport as Arturo Gatti did. Going by your logic ?

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Mickey Ward didn't hold belts in two divisions. He was never top 5 in any weight-class (Gatti was at 130 and maybe for a bit at 140). Gatti was a top 10 fighter in 4 divisions.

And say what you want about Mickey Ward, after his comeback, he had some quality wins - KO'd Reggie Green, KO'd Shea Neary (in the UK), Augustus. Taking 2 of 3 from Ward was worth something, especially because he beat him pretty easily in the second two fights.

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Originally Posted by RozzySean

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Originally Posted by leftylee number 1 groupie

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Originally Posted by kingfrnk

yea hes HOF material. especially since he had 3 great fights with Ward that are unforgetable so yea he is.

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But what has that got to do with anything ? the fact that all his great fights come against lower class opposition like Micky Ward speaks volumes. Since when do all exciting fighters just get a free pass into HOF ?

So because Micky Ward was an exciting fighter and was in many FOTY candidates. Does he deserve to be in the HOF aswell ? because surely he done as much for the sport as Arturo Gatti did. Going by your logic ?

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Mickey Ward didn't hold belts in two divisions. He was never top 5 in any weight-class (Gatti was at 130 and maybe for a bit at 140). Gatti was a top 10 fighter in 4 divisions.

And say what you want about Mickey Ward, after his comeback, he had some quality wins - KO'd Reggie Green, KO'd Shea Neary (in the UK), Augustus. Taking 2 of 3 from Ward was worth something, especially because he beat him pretty easily in the second two fights.

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I think Ward should be in there as well. And yes I believe any fighter that brings as much noteriety to boxing deserves to be in there.

I'd say yes, but I guess it depends of the criteria the Hall has. Like everyone has said, skill wise Gatti was not HoF worthy, but taking into account the whole picture I would definitely say yes.

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Originally Posted by RozzySean

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Originally Posted by leftylee number 1 groupie

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Originally Posted by kingfrnk

yea hes HOF material. especially since he had 3 great fights with Ward that are unforgetable so yea he is.

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But what has that got to do with anything ? the fact that all his great fights come against lower class opposition like Micky Ward speaks volumes. Since when do all exciting fighters just get a free pass into HOF ?

So because Micky Ward was an exciting fighter and was in many FOTY candidates. Does he deserve to be in the HOF aswell ? because surely he done as much for the sport as Arturo Gatti did. Going by your logic ?

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Mickey Ward didn't hold belts in two divisions. He was never top 5 in any weight-class (Gatti was at 130 and maybe for a bit at 140). Gatti was a top 10 fighter in 4 divisions.

And say what you want about Mickey Ward, after his comeback, he had some quality wins - KO'd Reggie Green, KO'd Shea Neary (in the UK), Augustus. Taking 2 of 3 from Ward was worth something, especially because he beat him pretty easily in the second two fights.

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Why not Meldrick Taylor then ? he held two belts in two weight classes, and he was just as entertaining as Arturo Gatti ETC, i just think HOF should only be for the great fighters.

Arturo Gatti was never the top man in any division he was in, and everytime he stepped up to the elite level he was beaten badly. Losing to Angel Manfredy, Ivan Robinson x2. While in your prime is no way worthy of HOF.

And even Arturo Gatti's best wins are nothing that stand out. Just because Arturo Gatti was exciting doesn't mean he gets a free pass. Because theres probably fighters with equal achievements who wern't as exciting. And they don't get a free pass so i don't see why Arturo Gatti should.

I agree he done alot for the sport excitement wise but again shouldn't HOF, be about wins/opposition/titles/skill ETC ? i think its flawed logic just to let any fighter in because they were exciting. Because if thats the case why do we have a HOF ? to seperate the great fighters from the good fighters. And can you honestly tell me that Arturo Gatti was a great fighter ?

I don't think so. I don't think as a pure fighter, he's anywhere near the Hall of Fame level, its just a question of whether all the other stuff makes up for it.

And yes I know the McGuigan effect but at some point that has to stop.

Looking at the votes, people that I usually agree with a lot are on the other side. Oh well, I just don't think he quite is.

I'm sure he will get in though.

I don't think the main criteria for adminitance is souly all out boxing skill 101.Maybe it should be but thats a bit narrowminded Imo.Take into account the impact factor,propelling the sport into the main stream.Think about it....in 15,20 or so years when Another fan generation comes up I think he will be defined 1st or last name alone.

Much better skills early on,had his share of showcase type lesser matches that made him look the balls out brawler of media folk lore we have come to know.I can definatly see both sides but I think he gets in.

No, no and no. Not ever.

If someone can get into the hall of fame for being exciting, then he's in for sure.

But I don't see him as an elite fighter or even a great fighter, just someone fun to watch. I don't see someone getting inducted if he fought 2 future HOFers and was not anywhere near competitive in those fights.

:-XIf Gatti gets in, open the gates becuase here comes the flood.

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Originally Posted by holmcall

:-XIf Gatti gets in, open the gates becuase here comes the flood.

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I agree, great fighter but just not great enough.

I like him but no.

This can be answered very simply( I hate this debate )

Definition of a hall of fame is a building housing or list of people who have performed notable achievements in a sport...

If there is someone on this site who can validly argue that Gatti's carreer, heart and memorable fights were not noteable then they don't know boxing...

Was Gatti the most skilled of all time? Not even close... But that's not what getting into the hall entails...

C'mon, guys... This debate should have been put to sleep after Gatti Ward II...

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Originally Posted by holmcall

:-XIf Gatti gets in, open the gates becuase here comes the flood.

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Really. Who else goes in because Gatti opens the gate? What other fighters are comparable to him in terms of impact on the sport in the last 10 years that wouldn't get in anyway because of other achievements in the ring? As much as I love Shane Mosley, who has a much better resume, Gatti has had more impact on the sport. Gatti has brought more American fans back into boxing than almost anybody I can think of outside of the HW division. He was the face of boxing and the biggest draw on the East Coast for years. He was superb boxers turned blood and guts warrior, one of the most compelling and beloved figures in all of boxing. You would be hard pressed to find a person to say a bad word about Arturo Gatti.

An in regards to the Meldrick Taylor comment from earlier...Meldrick didn't have the impact on the sport that Gatti had. Meldrick was a great fighter and perhaps could have been HoF, but he didn't bring new fans in or create the buzz that Gatti created. He's not an ATG, but I think he's qualifies for the hall based on the McGuigan allowance for exceptional contribution to the sport. I don't think Meldrick Taylor or any other number of fighters comes close to his impact.

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Originally Posted by RozzySean

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Originally Posted by holmcall

:-XIf Gatti gets in, open the gates becuase here comes the flood.

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Really. Who else goes in because Gatti opens the gate? What other fighters are comparable to him in terms of impact on the sport in the last 10 years that wouldn't get in anyway because of other achievements in the ring? As much as I love Shane Mosley, who has a much better resume, Gatti has had more impact on the sport. Gatti has brought more American fans back into boxing than almost anybody I can think of outside of the HW division. He was the face of boxing and the biggest draw on the East Coast for years. He was superb boxers turned blood and guts warrior, one of the most compelling and beloved figures in all of boxing. You would be hard pressed to find a person to say a bad word about Arturo Gatti.

An in regards to the Meldrick Taylor comment from earlier...Meldrick didn't have the impact on the sport that Gatti had. Meldrick was a great fighter and perhaps could have been HoF, but he didn't bring new fans in or create the buzz that Gatti created. He's not an ATG, but I think he's qualifies for the hall based on the McGuigan allowance for exceptional contribution to the sport. I don't think Meldrick Taylor or any other number of fighters comes close to his impact.

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Danny "Littel Red" Lopez, Tone DeMarco, Paz, Benn, Eubanks, Collins, Dariuz, Nunn and the following:

South Korean

In-Chul Baek - 1980-1990
Jung-Koo “The Korean Hawk” Chang -1980-1991
In-Jin Chi -1991-2006
Soo-Hwan Hong - 1969-1980
Ki-Soo Kim- 1961-1969 (South Korea's first world boxing champion
Chong-Pal Park- 1977-1988
Myung-Woo “Sonagi” Yuh - 1983-1992

Japanese

Yuri Arbachakov -1990-1997 (alias Yuri Ebihara) Russian born but fought out of Japan and was the first Russian professional boxing champion)[/font]

Hiroyuki Ebihara- 1959-1969
Yoko “Fierce Eagle” Gushiken- 1974-1981Hiroshi Kobayashi - 1962-1971
Masao Ohba - 1966-1973 (Ohba was fatally injured in car accident in 1973Yoshio Shirai- 1943-1952[/font]

Masamori Tokuyama -1994-2006 (North Korean born but fought out of Japan
jiro Watanabe- 1979-1986

]Thai

Sot Chitalada - 1983-1992
Chartchai Chionoi- 1960-1975
Pone Kingpetch - 1954-1966
Muangchai “J-Okay” Kittikasem- 1988-1999
Samart Payakaroon-1982-1994 (Also was a legend of Muay Thai boxing)


Filipino

Luisito “Golden Boy” Espinosa -1984-2005
Rolando “Bad Boy from Dadiangas " Navarrete- 1973-1991
Jesus “The Hawaiian Punch” Salud-1983-2002 (Born in Philippines fights out of the U.S.)
Ben Villaflor - 1966-1976

Ceferino “Pedro” Garcia -1923-1945 (Was first] Filipino-American World Middleweight Boxing Champion inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame)

Your move, Ace.

If Gatti, then Mancini

You can make a good case for the first set of names you listed. I don't have a problem with that. Steve Collins belongs in the HoF, IMO, probably Eubank, too. Mancini would get my vote.

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Originally Posted by RozzySean

You can make a good case for the first set of names you listed. I don't have a problem with that. Steve Collins belongs in the HoF, IMO, probably Eubank, too. Mancini would get my vote.

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:coolclick:

Yes

Again, skill is a factor but so is heart and tenacity. Gatti was someone that gave everything when he was in the ring. If he had Roy Jones Jr's skill he would have been the greatest boxer of all time unlike Roy who had the skill but not necessarily the heart and tenacity.

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Originally Posted by Hunter

Yes

Again, skill is a factor but so is heart and tenacity. Gatti was someone that gave everything when he was in the ring. If he had Roy Jones Jr's skill he would have been the greatest boxer of all time unlike Roy who had the skill but not necessarily the heart and tenacity.

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No argument with that.

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Originally Posted by Deanrw

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Originally Posted by leftylee number 1 groupie

No he isn't everytime he stepped up against the elite he lost, his most exciting fights were against lower class opposition. Just because he was an exciting fighter means nothing.

Because if thats the case then any exciting fighter should be in the HOF. I think the HOF should be for great fighters who beat great fighters, or made many title defenses or whatever they did great to make them a HOF fighter.

Arturo Gatti i hate to say it was a good fighter but thats it, he was never close to being elite in his division. And he never beat a great fighter.

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See you are confusing the Hall Of Fame with the Hall Of Skill. Did Arturo make an impact on the sport? He sure did.

He is a two time world champion, who was involved in the most exciting fights of his era. He basically carried the sport for quite a while. He is known as the Human Highlight Reel for a reason. It is not always about being the "elite". He is and will always be larger than life. He brought so many fans to the sport. In 30 years from now, people will talk about him more than the "elites" that shared the ring with him.

The HOF is there as a token. It is there to recognize not only achievements, but also gives credit to anyone who respected the sport, promoted the sport to new heights and gave every ounce they could.

Name any current fighter who has given more to the sport? I cannot think of any.

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I think those are some of the key points that can't be ignored when looking for an answer to this thread... By that I would say that yes he should be in...
Can you think of some recent heavyweight champs who have (statistically) 'career and achievement wise' equaled what Gatti achieved, but aren't worthy of Hall of Fame??

It brings light to the fact the hall of fame can't just be about statistical achievement, but also about bringing a quality to the sport that not many people have, and letting it hang out there in the best possible way.. And Gatti got to that 80% level of what can be achieved in boxing.. How many people get to that level and never make it to that A+ class, but leave us with as much as Gatti did? Pretty much no one...

He came through the ranks, and left us a legacy.. A legacy that may not have quite reached the top rungs, or achieved as much as some of those 1% fighters that do. But what he brought during the time the spotlight was on him, was up there with most boxers who have past and present been acknowledged as HOF material...

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Originally Posted by Dizaster

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Originally Posted by Deanrw

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Originally Posted by leftylee number 1 groupie

No he isn't everytime he stepped up against the elite he lost, his most exciting fights were against lower class opposition. Just because he was an exciting fighter means nothing.

Because if thats the case then any exciting fighter should be in the HOF. I think the HOF should be for great fighters who beat great fighters, or made many title defenses or whatever they did great to make them a HOF fighter.

Arturo Gatti i hate to say it was a good fighter but thats it, he was never close to being elite in his division. And he never beat a great fighter.

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See you are confusing the Hall Of Fame with the Hall Of Skill. Did Arturo make an impact on the sport? He sure did.

He is a two time world champion, who was involved in the most exciting fights of his era. He basically carried the sport for quite a while. He is known as the Human Highlight Reel for a reason. It is not always about being the "elite". He is and will always be larger than life. He brought so many fans to the sport. In 30 years from now, people will talk about him more than the "elites" that shared the ring with him.

The HOF is there as a token. It is there to recognize not only achievements, but also gives credit to anyone who respected the sport, promoted the sport to new heights and gave every ounce they could.

Name any current fighter who has given more to the sport? I cannot think of any.

---

I think those are some of the key points that can't be ignored when looking for an answer to this thread... By that I would say that yes he should be in...
Can you think of some recent heavyweight champs who have (statistically) 'career and achievement wise' equaled what Gatti achieved, but aren't worthy of Hall of Fame??

It brings light to the fact the hall of fame can't just be about statistical achievement, but also about bringing a quality to the sport that not many people have, and letting it hang out there in the best possible way.. And Gatti got to that 80% level of what can be achieved in boxing.. How many people get to that level and never make it to that A+ class, but leave us with as much as Gatti did? Pretty much no one...

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Holmes

One of the problems is that the so-called experts who vote are too young to really remember some of the guys who deserve to get in. Also, they keep the process secretive so that the criteria remain unknown. If we knew what the standards were, we could make a better judgement on this. I know a number of people who are voters and believe me when I say this, many of the posters here and on other good sites know more about boxing and boxing history than the writers who vote. I no longer pay much attention to what they do there. I just enjoy going there and having a good time every June. But I do support the heck out of the Hall financially speaking. IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE AND IT PUTS MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH IS. That is all on this subject except to say that many of the posts have me reconsidering Gatti's worthiness.

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Originally Posted by holmcall

One of the problems is that the so-called experts who vote are too young to really remember some of the guys who deserve to get in. Also, they keep the process secretive so that the criteria remain unknown. If we knew what the standards were, we could make a better judgement on this. I know a number of people who are voters and believe me when I say this, many of the posters here and on other good sites know more about boxing and boxing history than the writers who vote. I no longer pay much attention to what they do there. I just enjoy going there and having a good time every June. But I do support the heck out of the Hall financially speaking. IT'S FOR A GOOD CAUSE AND IT PUTS MY MONEY WHERE MY MOUTH IS. That is all on this subject except to say that many of the posts have me reconsidering Gatti's worthiness.

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I know, you can't argue with any of the posts saying he should be in there. Gatti-Ward 1 is one of the best fights I have ever seen and probably will ever see.

I love Gatti the same way I love Bobby Chacon.

But I have to say neither one belongs in the hall.

However Barrys in and Nortons in so Gatti should be a fit.

Of course he is. There is no set criteria for the HOF, the simple fact that he managed to achieve the notoriety and following he did should be your answer. Besides that for what he lacked in skill he more than made up for with one of the biggest hearts of any fighter arguably ever. Hell Fransico Bojado and Derrick Gainer had more than enough skill to make it in themselves, should it not work both ways??