BoxRec

Arturo Gatti v Gabriel Ruelas

I've been watching a lot of fights recently that were given the honour of being 'The Ring magazine fight of the year'. However, I have to question the decision to give the 1997 award to this fight. Decent enough as it was, it didn't grip me in the same way as some of the others have done. As with any Gatti fight you're going to get plenty of action and the finish was pretty good but surely there were better fights in 1997?

I'd be interested in your thoughts...

Hamed vs Kelly was quite explosive too.

Yeah honestly, I adore Gatti, and the Gatti vs Ruelas fight. I mean yeah it's awesome, but I'd have given it to Hamed vs Kevin Kelley too.

That being said, the previous year I'd have given it to Gatti vs Wilson Rodriguez over Tyson vs Holyfield. So either way Gatti winds up with the same amount of Fight of the Year awards to his credit.

Though if we're breaking it down here, I'd have given it to Toney vs Jirov in 2003 over Gatti vs Ward 3 personally.

I also really loved the Leonard Dorin vs Paul Spadafora fight in 2003 which gets nowhere near then attention that it deserves. Great fight.