FILE-A pair of boxing gloves are placed on the side of a ring. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images)
Arturo Gatti Jr., the son of late boxing legend Arturo Gatti, has died. He was 17 years old.
The World Boxing Association confirmed the news of his passing on Wednesday and wrote the following in a social media post:
"The WBA and the boxing world mourn the passing of Arturo Gatti Jr. His journey was just beginning, yet his spirit will live on — now reunited with his legendary father among the stars. Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."
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ESPN reported that Gatti Jr. was found dead in Mexico, where he lived with his mother and Gatti's widow, Amanda Rodrigues. But additional details on the circumstances of his death were unclear.
Gatti Jr. aspired to become a boxer like his late father and started his career as an amateur boxer with a goal to compete in the Olympics before transitioning his effort to a professional boxing career. Gatti Jr. wasn’t even a year old when his father was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Brazil in 2009.
According to ESPN, Rodrigues was initially charged with murder in his death. But police in Brazil later ruled the famed boxer’s death to be by suicide, and Rodrigues had the charges against her dropped.
Who was Arturo Gatti?
The backstory:
Arturo Gatti was a professional boxer who finished his career with a 40-9 record and gained acclaim for his legendary fights with Oscar De La Hoya, Mickey Ward, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Gatti also won the IBF junior lightweight and WBC super lightweight titles during his career, FOX News reported.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the World Boxing Association, FOX News, and ESPN. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.