Arturo Gatti Top Knockouts: 5 Best KOs

Every generation has their favorite fighters and for many of us that grew up watching boxing in the 1990’s the fighter we often identify with is Arturo Gatti.

Gatti could be an excellent pure boxer when he wanted but often times his preferred method of fighting was brawling. And that is what made him must watch television.

From a career that had many memorable knockouts here are the top five in the Hall of Fame career of Arturo Gatti.

5. Tialano Tovar KO1 04/22/1995 – Gatti was quickly ascending the 130 pound rankings and keeping a busy schedule when he took on Tovar in April of 1995.

Arturo Gatti came out quick landing some thunderous body shots that brought down the hands of Tovar.

With Tovar protecting his ribcage Gatti fired off a left hook that landed flush on Tovar’s chin and spun his head around as he hit the deck.

Tovar was unable to beat the referee’s count.

4. Leonard Dorin KO2 07/24/2004 – We go from a young up and coming Gatti to a veteran Gatti who is nearing the end of his career.

Gatti had just captured a 140 title belt in January of 2004 and his first defense came against an undefeated Leonard Dorin. Given Dorin’s style this was expected to be a firefight.

After Arturo Gatti boxed well in the first Dorin began closing the distance in the second and the two began to exchange.

With the round nearing an end Dorin pressed forward aggressively but ran into a brutal left hook that landed with precision to his liver. Dorin folded to the canvas and was unable to beat the count giving Gatti an emphatic second round knockout victory.

3. Joey Gamache K02 02/26/2000 – There is plenty of controversy surrounding this fight as whether or not Gatti actually made or even came close to making weight has been discussed for years.

Arturo Gatti Demolishes Joey Gamache

But notwithstanding the controversy the knockout was as violent an ending as has been witnessed in the sport in the last 25 or so years.

After dropping Gamache twice in the first Arturo Gatti nailed Gamache with a clean uppercut early in the second.

With Gamache frozen from that punch and his head hanging exposed Gatti followed up with a brutal left hook that sent Gamache’s head thumping against the canvas.

The referee did not bother counting.

2. Gabriel Ruelas TKO5 10/04/1997 – This was a peak Gatti just entering the height of his popularity facing off against a very formidable challenger in Ruelas.

Ruelas was known as a high volume puncher who wasn’t afraid to get in a brawl. Nobody expected anything but all action and that’s what we got.

In the fourth round Ruelas hurt Arturo Gatti with a pinpoint left uppercut.

And the follow up assault by Ruelas would have finished most other opponents.

Arturo Gatti The Comeback Kid

But not Gatti, who stormed back and in vintage fashion that brought the Atlantic City crowd to its feet.

Ruelas came out in the fifth to slug it out and Gatti was happy to oblige.

The two exchanged punch after punch with no regard to defense. With Ruelas constantly moving forward Arturo Gatti eventually clipped him with a highlight reel left hook that put Ruelas on the deck.

Though Ruelas bravely made it to his feet the referee wisely elected to call off the contest.

1. Wilson Rodriguez KO6 03/23/1996 – The fight where the legend of Gatti officially started.

In the second round Gatti was knocked down and had both eyes starting to badly swell.

Rodriguez appeared on his well on his way to a stoppage victory.

But Arturo Gatti was bound and determined to not lose the title he had just wrestled from Tracy Harris Patterson just three months earlier.

Abandoning all defense Gatti just decided to throw down and see what he could land on Rodriguez. And land Gatti did particularly to Rodriguez’s body.

After scoring a knockdown in the fifth from a body shot the tide had clearly begun turning in Gatti’s favor.

With Rodriguez holding his hands low to protect his body his head was a wide open target.

In the sixth Gatti caught Rodriguez coming forward with a clean left hook to the chin that sent Rodriguez to the canvas.

It was a sensational punch and Rodriguez stayed down for a long duration as Gatti pulled victory from the jaws of defeat.