Police Accuse Wife in Death of Boxing Champ Gatti

FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2004 file photo, Arturo Gatti celebrates after defeating Gianluca Branco of...

FILE - In this Jan. 24, 2004 file photo, Arturo Gatti celebrates after defeating Gianluca Branco of Italy for the WBC junior welterweight championship in Atlantic City, N.J. Officials say Gatti has been found dead in a hotel room at the seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas in northeastern Brazil on Saturday, July 11, 2009, where he arrived on Friday with his wife and one-year-old son. The spokesman said it was unclear how Gatti died. He was 37. (AP Photo/Mary Godleski)

(AP)

The couple's 1-year-old son, who was unhurt, was handed to Rodrigues' sister, Saraiva said.

The 37-year-old Gatti, whose epic trilogy with Micky Ward branded him one of the most exciting fighters of his generation, retired in 2007 with a career record of 40-9 and 31 knockouts.

Known for his straightforward punching and granite-like chin, Gatti captured the super featherweight title in 1995, when he defeated Tracy Harris Patterson in Atlantic City, N.J. He won the junior welterweight title in 2004.

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