Boxing's Tragedies: Alexis Arguello, Arturo Gatti, Vernon Forrest

Tragedies Of The Year: Alexis Arguello, 57; Arturo Gatti, 37; Vernon Forrest, 38.


FanHouse finds the successive, July, deaths of three former world champions, Arguello, Forrest and Gatti, to be among the most tragic of any era, let alone the year of 2009.

A Hall Of Fame fighter and former three-time world champion, Arguello was found dead on July 1 of a gunshot wound to the chest in his home outside of his native Managua, Nicaragua, where he had recently become mayor. Authorities ruled Arguello's death a suicide, but his son, Alexis Jr., told Lisa Olson of FanHouse that he does not believe it.

"I'll do whatever I need to do to prove my dad didn't commit suicide," said Arguello Jr., the eldest of Arguello's seven children and a producer for CBS College Sports Network. "Like dad used to always say, 'Tough times don't last but tough guys do.' "

On July 11, Gatti was found dead in his hotel room in Brazil where he was vacationing with his wife, who was originally arrested and charged with his murder, but later, released. Additionally ruled a suicide, the circumstances surrounding Gatti's death still are being investigated.

On July 25, Forrest was shot several times in the back and pronounced dead at the scene in Atlanta following a robbery. Forrest was known for his youth charity work with an organization called, Destiny's Child, a not for profit group home that assists people with developmental, emotional, psychological disabilities and needs.




Ring histories:

Alexis Arguello: 82-8, 65 knockouts -- Known as "The Explosive Thin Man," and, "The Ring's Gentleman," Arguello earned the WBA featherweight (126 pounds), WBC super featherweight (130) and WBC lightweight (135) crowns.

Arguello's career included knockouts of Rafael Limon, Bobby Chacon, previously 46-0 Ruben Castillo, previously 20-0 Ray Mancini, and previously 27-1 Cornelius Boza-Edwards.

In both a decision victory over Jose Luis Ramirez and a fifth-round knockout of Andy Ganigan, Arguello rose from the canvas in order to win. Arguello also defeated England's world champ, Jim Watt.

Also known for losing two, wars against Aaron Pryor, respectively, in November of 1982, and, September of '83, Arguello briefely retired following the second loss to Pryor.

Arguello announced his return to the ring with an October, 1985, fifth-round stoppage of Pat Jefferson, followed by a February, 1986, fourth-round knockout of former world champ, Billy Costello, who was 31-1 coming in.

After retiring, once more, Arguello came back with a majority decision over Jorge Palomares in August of 1994 before losing the last bout of his career by unanimous decision to Scott Walker in January of 1995.





Arturo Gatti: 40-9, 31 KOs -- "Thunder" Gatti was a champion of the IBF super featherweight (130) and WBC light elterweight (140) divisions, and was involved in a Ring Magazine "Fight Of The Year" four times.

Gatti was most known for his ring trilogies with Micky Ward, losing their first clash, and winning their second and third. Their first, and, third matchups were the ones which earned Ring Magazine's "Fight Of The Year" honors.

Other big wins for Gatti were his two decisions over Tracy Harris Patterson and his KOs of former world champs, Gabriel Ruelas, Calvin Grove, Terron Millett, and, Jesse James Leija.




Vernon Forrest: 41-3, 29 KOs -- "The Viper" twice earned welterweight (147) crowns, wearing the IBF, and, WBC belts on separate occasions. Forrest also won the WBC light middleweight (154) title.

Forrest is most widely known as being the only man to twice defeat world champion, Shane Mosley, doing so by consecutive unanimous decisions in January and July of 2002. Forrest also decisioned former world titlists, Vince Phillips, Ike Quartey, and, Carlos Baldomir.




Sergio Mora split matchups with Forrest, dethroning him for the WBC 154-pound championship to improve to 21-0-1 with a majority decision in June of 2008, and then, losing that crown three months later by a one-sided, unanimous decision.

The second bout with Mora was Forrest's last fight.