Tributes Pour As Arturo Gatti’s Son Dies At 17

Gatti’s former bodyguard, Chuck Zito, took to social media to announce Gatti Jr’s passing, stating that he was found the “same way they found his father”.

“It’s with a heavy heart that I have to say,…. R.I.P.  to 17-year-old ARTURO GATTI JR., who was found hanging in an apartment in Mexico yesterday. The same way they found his father dead in an apartment in Brazil 16 years ago,” he wrote.

Gatti was found dead in a hotel in Ipojuca, Brazil, where he was on holiday with his wife and the then-10-month-old Gatti Jr. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.

The younger Gatti was early on in his journey to preserve his father’s pugilistic legacy. His most recent Instagram post was an AI-generated image of himself with his father during his prime —a powerful yet moving testament to the shoes he wishes to fill. But this journey was tragically cut short.

“The WBA and the boxing world mourn the passing of Arturo Gatti Jr. His journey was just beginning,” the WBA wrote in a statement. “Yet his spirit will live on, now reunited with his legendary father among the stars.”

The World of Boxing Mourns

Tributes poured in for the young boxer, with many expressing shock at his passing and reminiscing about a legacy cut short far too early.

His trainer, Moe Latif, confirmed that Gatti Jr’s death was not a rumor while requesting privacy during the undoubtedly trying time.

Promoter, Lou DiBella, expressed grief at his passing, hoping that he had finally found peace in his father’s arms.

WBC chairman Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed Gatti’s death, calling it a profound loss to the sport of boxing. “The World Boxing Council and the global community of our sport join in prayer for the profound loss of Arturo Gatti Jr. at the age of 17. May God rest his soul and help his family find peace,” he said.