Brazilian authorities are detaining Amanda Carina Barbosa Rodrigues, 23, the wife of former world boxing champion Arturo Gatti as a suspect in his killing.
The 37-year old Gatti was taking a vacation in Brazil and was found dead Saturday in a hotel with strangulation marks. Homicide experts are investigating.
The fight 5'7 brawler had a cult-like following in New Jersey. He was the former IBF super-featherweight, WBC light-welterweight, and WBC junior welterweight champion.
Gatti retired in 2007 after losing to journeyman Alfonso Gomez, and retired with a record of 40 wins and nine losses.
Among fight fans, he was most know for his tremendous heart and guts. A real-life "Rocky Balboa." He broke his hand five times during his career, and earned endearment by being a consummate puncher who stood toe-to-toe with any opponent, trading pugilist bombs.
His boxing legacy is marked by an exciting and brutal trilogy of bouts with Irish Mickey Ward. The sheer tenacity and brutality of the fights nearly killed both men -- cameras followed the fighters, bruised and hurt, to the hospital and revealed the extent of the injuries. Gatti lost the first fight in a narrowest of 12-round decision, but won the next two against Ward. Blue collar fans cheered wildly for Gatti.
He lost to Floyd Mayweathefirst and to welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir in 2006 and the second to journeyman Alfonso Gomez in '07. Gatti, earlier in his career, won 26 of his first 27 fights, with 13 of those victories coming in the opening round.
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