At the point in time at which this fight was contested, many thought that Floyd Mayweather Jr. looked destined for greatness, but he was admittedly untested at the very highest level.
Arturo Gatti, a fighter that hadn't lost since 2002 in what was a back and forth war against Micky Ward, had fought the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Gianluca Branco pre-Mayweather, and even if he didn't have masses of skill, he had the heart and determination to make up for it at a high level. However, Floyd Mayweather was to prove to be just too good for the gutsy New Jersey man.
Gatti vs. Mayweather Round-By-Round
Until the last twenty seconds, the opener was fairly close. Neither fighter threw too many punches, although Mayweather was definitely the more precise of the two. Not long before the bell though, Gatti was hit low. He put his guard down thinking the referee was going to give him a break, but this didn't happen, and Mayweather landed some unprotected shots on his foe leading to a knockdown. Gatti was more astounded that the referee hadn't stepped in after the low blow than hurt, although it was still a 10-8 round to Mayweather, and that was what Gatti should have been more concerned about.
The second was all Mayweather. Gatti was trying to come forward and be effective, but anytime he did, Mayweather would stop him in his tracks with crisp, clean combinations. The left hook to the body and the right straight up top were particularly potent punches for Mayweather, in a round which HBO analyst Harold Lederman thought he won 10-8, despite there being no knockdowns.
Round three was better for Gatti, but that by no means meant he won it. Mayweather was looking for openings and countering to great effect, and Gatti just didn't have an answer to his undoubtedly more skilled foe.
Arturo Gatti was showing heart to stay on his feet from what Mayweather was dishing out, as round four was equally big for the 'Pretty Boy'. The right straight in particular was landing over and over again, and Gatti couldn't do a thing about it.
The HBO commentary team mused that Floyd had 'hands like lasers' in round five, and for good reason. Mayweather was really turning it on as the round continued, and towards the end of it, Gatti, for the first time was beginning to look very disorganised. He had to use every once of his fighting spirit to get through this session.
Gatti lasted until the end of the sixth, but his corner pulled him out after it, realising that their man would literally fight until he died. Another massively one sided round had left Gatti's face a mess with both eyes closed. Floyd Mayweather was therefore a dominant winner, and he took Gatti's WBC light welterweight title to boot.
Implications Of Gatti vs. Mayweather
To beat a warrior like Gatti in such devastating fashion sent out a statement to the rest of the light welterweight division, and proved that Floyd Mayweather Jr. belonged on the esteemed pound for pound list. To this day Floyd remains unbeaten, and he looks a level above everyone he fights.
This wasn't the first time Arturo Gatti had been outclassed (Oscar De La Hoya did a similar job on him in 2001), but by this point in time, 'Thunder' had been in many wars, and many pensed that he should have called it a day. He didn't though, and went 1-2 in his remaining two fights. His loss to Alfonso Gomez proved he was a shell of himself, and after this, he called it a day immediately, ending one of the most exciting careers in boxing.
How To Watch Gatti vs. Mayweather
Gatti vs. Mayweather was this week's 'Classic Fight of the Week'. Please visit my profile page for details on how to watch this, or any of the fights previously covered in this column.
