Arturo Gatti

He wasn't the kind of boxer whose name resonated among the general public, like Oscar de la Hoya or Mike Tyson. But Arturo Gatti, the Canadian boxer who died July 11 at age 37 after being strangled in a Brazilian hotel room--by his wife, according to police--was an icon among sophisticated fans. And he was an icon for a reason that exists only in boxing, which is that it didn't matter if he won or lost.

At the height of his career, Gatti lost three consecutive fights but none of his importance. His paychecks actually went up. Every fight was like...

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