Arturo Gatti Jr., the son of late boxing icon Arturo “Thunder” Gatti, has died at the age of 17.
The amateur fighter was just an infant when his father died by suicide in 2009 at age 37. The younger Gatti was found dead in the same manner earlier this week at an apartment in Mexico City, according to a social media post from his former bodyguard Chuck Zito.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I have to say,…. R.I.P. to 17-year-old ARTURO GATTI JR.,” Zito wrote Wednesday on Instagram, adding: “The same way they found his Father dead in an apartment in Brazil 16 years ago. My condolences to Arturo Gatti Seniors – Mom, Sisters, Brothers, and his daughter Sophia.”
Authorities have not yet confirmed the teen’s official cause of death.
Gatti Jr. had moved to Mexico City to train at local boxing academies so he could eventually make his professional debut, according to CBS News. He was reportedly living in an apartment with his mother, Amanda Rodrigues, Gatti Sr.’s widow.
The younger Gatti was 10 months old when his father, a world champion in two separate weight classes, was found dead at an apartment in Brazil he had rented with Rodrigues. She was arrested as a suspect at the time before investigators ruled his death a suicide.
Rodrigues spoke proudly of her son in 2012, telling CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty on “48 Hours Mystery,” “He’s everything I asked God for. Junior makes me complete.”
“The smile is the same… just like his daddy,” she added. “I miss my husband very much.”
Gatti Sr. was a world champion in the super featherweight division in the 1990s and the super lightweight division in the 2000s. Gatti Jr. shared a modified image on Instagram only two weeks ago depicting the two standing next to each other in their boxing gear.
“The WBA and the boxing world mourn the passing of Arturo Gatti Jr.,” the World Boxing Association wrote Wednesday on X. “His journey was just beginning, yet his spirit will live on, now he is reunited with his legendary father among the stars.”
“Our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,” the WBA continued.
Gatti Jr. has since been mourned by fellow boxers on social media, including former light-heavyweight champion Jean Pascal and influencer Jake Paul. His longtime coach Moe Latif has reportedly asked people to stop contacting him about the loss.
“It is unfortunately not a rumor or a joke,” he wrote in an Instagram Story. “Arturo is gone.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
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