Columnist Jeff Haney: Gatti confident heading into fight with Mayweather

Thursday, June 16, 2005 | 9:19 a.m.

Jeff Haney covers boxing for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com.

The most popular attraction on the Atlantic City boardwalk since the diving horse, Arturo Gatti has always enjoyed the adulation of his legions of fans when fighting in the seaside gambling town.

As a 4-1 underdog against Las Vegas' Floyd Mayweather Jr. on June 25, Gatti will need all the support he can muster up.

The two 140-pounders clash for the WBC super lightweight championship in an HBO Pay-Per-View bout at Boardwalk Hall.

"It's not because of my looks," Gatti (39-6, 30 knockouts) said of his popularity in Atlantic City. "It's my ability to fight. People love to come see me fight. They know they are not going to be upset. I'm an entertainer in the ring and that's why I'm popular."

Though Gatti won his first world title at Madison Square Garden, beating Tracy Harris Patterson in 1995, most of his memorable fights have taken place in Atlantic City, often before large and raucous crowds, including:

In negotiations for the Mayweather fight, Gatti insisted the bout be held in Atlantic City. According to Mayweather, Gatti rejected an offer to hold the event at a quasi-neutral site such as Madison Square Garden, which still would have given Gatti a "home-ring" advantage.

"If he wants to fight Arturo Gatti, that is my turf and that's where we are going to fight," said Gatti, of Jersey City, N.J., by way of Montreal. "Once you are in the ring, it doesn't matter where you really are. But to be honest with you, what I am going to do to him on the 25th I would do anywhere else. ...

"I love Atlantic City. What I love is that they were there for me in the beginning and even when I had three losses in a row they were still there cheering for me and supporting me, and I owe it to them."

Since those three consecutive losses -- to Angel Manfredy and twice to Robinson -- Gatti, 33, has gone 9-2, losing to Oscar De La Hoya and in his first fight against Ward.

Today, Gatti chalks up that mid-career slump to irresponsible actions outside the ring -- what he described as too much "partying."

"I got lazy with training, messed around too much," Gatti said, speaking on a conference call. "That's all done now. I was going crazy, just having a good time, just going wild. I'm a wild guy -- look at the way I fight, I can't be normal."

Gatti was referring to his crowd-pleasing style: Many of his action-filled fights have been marked by streaming blood and Gatti's trademark swollen eyes.

Yet in recent years, Gatti has recreated his image under trainer Buddy McGirt, relying more on his boxing skills and less on his propensity toward all-out brawling.

McGirt, who has worked with Gatti for nearly five years, says his fighter rises to the level of his competition.

"I believe in my heart that Arturo is going to win this fight easier than people think," McGirt said. "Everyone is saying, 'Floyd this and Floyd that.' We are going to find out. They underestimate Arturo. They underestimate him a whole lot."

Though Mayweather (33-0, 22 KOs) is ranked at or near the top of many lists of the world's best boxers, pound-for-pound, his critics claim he has not consistently fought world-class competitors.

"He never did (have to dig deep) and we'll see how much (courage) he has," Gatti said. "I know I have a big heart and a lot of (courage). I don't think he has that and I think he's going to need them on the 25th."

McCullough rematch

Las Vegas' Wayne McCullough will get a rematch against Oscar Larios in a WBC super bantamweight championship fight on July 16 on the undercard of the middleweight title clash between Bernard Hopkins and Jermain Taylor at the MGM Grand.

Larios (55-3-1, 35 KOs) scored a unanimous decision against McCullough (27-5, 18 KOs) in a taut 12-rounder on Feb. 10, and McCullough, a native of Belfast, Northern Ireland, has been after a rematch since. A victory by McCullough in his adopted hometown would likely lead to a rubber match between the 122-pounders.

Also on the Hopkins-Taylor undercard: