Heart and Soul: Gatti's Hall of Fame ticket

http://www.secondsout.com/USA/news.cfm?ccs=229&cs=20319

By Ant Evans: An Arturo Gatti fight at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is always an occasion. But when 'Thunder' was stopped in nine rounds in his challenge WBC and linear welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir on July 22 it was a sombre occasion. An occasion which forced even some of Gatti's most impassioned supporters question whether Thunder, for all the wonderful nights and memories he has given us, is truly a great fighter.

Leading up to the bout, some critics expressed the opinion that should Gatti emerge as a three division world champion, he would have put himself 'over the top' and earned himself a spot in the hallowed halls of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Canastota, New York.

Assuming he retires from the ring in early 2007 at the latest, it will be 2013 before the Canadian born, slugger is eligible for enshrinement the pantheon of immortals at Canastota, New York.

However, while a farewell bout is under consideration, if Gatti is to get into Canastota, he'll probably need to do so on what he has already achieved in the sport.

The IBHoF's 'modern' inductees (boxers who have been retired for five or more years and whose last contest was no less recent than 1943) are voted in by the members of the Boxing Writers Association of America, plus several dozen other 'electors' chosen by the IBHoF's Board of Directors. Each year, a shortlist is drawn up by the IBHoF's small team of historians and the electors are invited mark their ballots according to their own judgements and criteria.

Most electors would probably agree that Gatti - currently 40-9 (31KOs) and a 15 year pro at least deserves consideration for induction. He has won two world titles in two different weight categories - super-featherweight and junior welterweight - beaten six men good enough to win a 'world' title during their careers and, of course, has featured in some of the most exciting bouts of his era.

But is this CV enough for Gatti to shoulder in between the likes of Robinson and Duran? I canvassed the views of the five members of the SecondsOut team - Thomas Hauser, Paul Upham, Randy Roberts, Matt Wells and myself - who are members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and, providing we remain members through 2012 or so, will asked to vote on Gatti.

Playing Devil's Advocate, I began by asking how a fighter who has been soundly beaten by Angel Manfredy, Ivan Robison (twice), Micky Ward and Carlos Baldomir and obliterated by sure-thing future Hall of Famers Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather deserves to be enshrined in the IBHoF.

Paul Upham isn't convinced he does belong. SecondsOut's respected Australian based editor began: "What's Gatti most well known for? Probably the trilogy with Micky Ward, where he showed determination and heart above and beyond the call of duty. But, really, Ward was not a great fighter and yet he beat Gatti in the first fight and gave Gatti tough, tough nights in the next two bouts. It doesn't take anything away from those fights to say that Ward - and Gatti - do not have special talents as boxers."

Upham astutely points out the very name of the IBHoF institution is misleading. "It's called the International Boxing Hall of Fame," Upham said with emphasis. "And if it truly were an institution recognising the most famous boxers, Gatti would absolutely belong in it - he's very popular. But it is supposed to be a place celebrating the very best fighters, pound-for-pound, and I don't know that Gatti fits that criteria."

However, Upham adds: "But I'm a guy who likes to look at things from different perspectives and I can see that Gatti is a special fighter despite not having special technical talents. Maybe he is a special case as far as the Hall of Fame is concerned. What makes Gatti special is his heart, and all those 10,000s of people who pay to see him live and millions who watch him on TV all over the world can't all be wrong. There's a specialness about Gatti that goes beyond his actual skill level and accomplishments in the ring. I think a lot of (panelists) will want to find a reason to vote for him - and the fans will certainly want to see him in the Hall of Fame after all the wonderful hours of enjoyment he's given us.

"As for my vote, it will depend on who else is on the ballot next to Gatti. If there's no-one I feel more deserving on the ballot I'll vote for Gatti but, if there's more talented fighters on the list with more accomplishments then Gatti will have to get into the Hall of Fame without my vote."

As long ago as 1995, Thomas Hauser had grown concerned with the rate and ease in which fighters were entering the Hall of Fame. Today, Hauser's concerns that the Hall of Fame continues induct undeserving fighters at a breakneck rate are such that he refuses to vote.

He explained: "It is a protest against the fact that I feel there are so many unqualified electors and also way the IBHoF is watering down the standards for induction. It is a requirement that Canastota inducts fighters each and every year, and fighters are getting in on the basis of six or seven votes. Allowing competent or 'good' fighters into an institution supposedly set aside for great fighters only is like having four 'world champions' in each weight class - it diminishes the honor. The bar is now set so low that fighters who are not 'Hall of Fame' quality get in almost every year."

In his writings, Hauser has listed fighters like Ken Norton, Jeff Fenech, Pipino Cuevas, Victor Galindez, and Ingemar Johansson as fighters who, for all they achieved in boxing, stand shoulder high with Ali or Robinson in neither achievement nor boxing history.

Hauser said: "The question you have to ask is whether Gatti belongs in a credible Hall of Fame. To answer that first you look at his won/loss record, and he doesn't have a great won/loss record. Then you look at his record in his biggest fights, and he lost his biggest fights - against De La Hoya and Mayweather. Then you look to his longevity and, yes, Arturo's career has been reasonably long.

"But if you are going to argue Arturo belongs in a Hall of Fame, you really have to do so on the basis of the intangibles: he has given boxing some incredibly exciting moments, he fights with a great deal of pride, and he has competed against world class fighters with incredible courage and heart."