Ever since word came out that local boxing hero Arturo Gatti was found dead in a San Paolo, Brazil hotel room a little more than two years ago, a death that Brazilian officials later deemed as a suicide, his manager, Union City boxing guru Pat Lynch, vowed to prove that Gatti did not take his own life.
Apparently, we’ll all know a lot more in a couple of weeks.
A press conference has been scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30 to release the findings of a private investigation, spearheaded by Lynch, that will prove that Gatti did not take his own life as reported. The press conference will take place at Global Boxing Gym in North Bergen.
According to reports, the 10-month investigation, conducted by famed private investigators Paul Ciolino of Chicago and Joseph Moura of Boston, will produce reports from a number of medical and scientific experts that will clear up the mystery surrounding the five-time world boxing champion’s death on July 11, 2009.
Gatti lived in Jersey City and Hoboken for most of his professional boxing career.
At the time of his death, Brazilian police originally arrested Gatti’s wife, Amanda Rodrigues, and charged her with his murder, only to release her from custody three weeks later, when Brazilian officials ruled Gatti’s death as a suicide.
Gatti, who won world titles in the junior lightweight and super lightweight divisions, was an extremely popular boxer because of his never-say-die style. That attitude in the ring is part of the reason why his manager Lynch paid for the investigation surrounding Gatti’s shocking death. All of the people close to Gatti maintained that the boxer would have never taken his own life.
Nicknamed “Thunder,” Gatti won 40 fights in his pro career that ended in 2008.
The trilogy of battles with Micky Ward – who became famous with last year’s Oscar-winning movie, “The Fighter,” starring Mark Wahlberg – were some of the most famous, action-packed fights in boxing history.
It should be interesting to hear the findings of these private investigators and whether the findings will open up the case to find the real cause of the popular boxer’s death…
There’s sad news to report. Just two weeks after the passing of Hall of Fame basketball legend George Waddleton, his brother – former Jersey City Councilman and famed basketball Hall of Famer in his own right Danny Waddleton – suffered a massive stroke last weekend and is hospitalized in critical condition.
Danny Waddleton is one of the most beloved and respected sports figures in Hudson County. He was an All-American in high school out of St. Michael’s of Union City and played in a famed All-American game in the old Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City in 1960, playing in a game that featured future standouts as Lenny Wilkens, Jeff Mullins, and John Thompson.
Danny then went on to have a fine career at St. John’s University, where he played for Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca, who apparently came to Danny’s bedside after news of the stroke filtered down.
This reporter had the good fortune to spend many an hour with Danny over the years, especially when Danny had the foresight to try to initiate a Jersey City Hall of Fame when he was in office in the early 1900s. Danny also served as a local high school basketball coach and was always willing to help kids at several schools, including McNair Academic and Secaucus.
After just burying his beloved brother and his personal idol, it’s almost unfathomable to think that Danny has now fallen tragically ill. Let’s keep Danny in our prayers in this trying time…
Jersey City’s Rashawn Jackson, who went from an undrafted free agent to earning a spot on the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad for most of last season, then seeing action in the final two games of the season, is back with the Panthers in training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. Jackson, a powerful fullback, will face the New York Giants in the NFL preseason opener this weekend. Keep an eye out for the former St. Peter’s Prep and University of Virginia standout. He’s wearing uniform No. 38…
It appears as if former St. Peter’s Prep running back and two-time Hudson Reporter Player of the Year Savon Huggins is ready to make his mark at Rutgers University right away as a freshman. Huggins has been dazzling everyone with his work at Scarlet Knight training camp.
However, former Prep teammate Keith Lumpkin will more than likely be a redshirt this season. The Scarlet Knights also feature former Hoboken standout Isaac Holmes, former Secaucus offensive lineman Betim Bujari and former Union Hill linebacker Manny Abreu, who is being moved to defensive end this season…–Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.