The financial rewards reflected the event’s importance. Baldomir earned a reported $1.4 million, while Gatti received $1 million. Baldomir bypassed other lucrative opportunities because this fight guaranteed his biggest payday to that time.
Boardwalk Hall was full of 12,763 fans, setting an Atlantic City attendance record for a non-heavyweight boxing event. The constructing had turn out to be synonymous with Gatti over the previous decade, and the partisan crowd expected one other dramatic chapter from their adopted hometown favorite.
From the opening bell, Baldomir made it clear he had no intention of allowing that script to play out.
Although each men weighed inside the welterweight limit, Baldomir looked physically stronger once the punches began landing. He repeatedly backed Gatti toward the ropes with heavy right hands before following with hooks to the pinnacle and body. Gatti answered with mixtures, but Baldomir absorbed them without changing his approach.
Referee Wayne Hedgepeth allowed the motion to develop at any time when possible, stepping in just when the fighters became tied up. His handling suited Baldomir, who preferred a physical fight fought at close range.
Gatti remained competitive through portions of the center rounds despite swelling beneath his right eye. A cut around his mouth also became visible because the punishment mounted. All three judges favored Baldomir after eight rounds. Tom Kaczmarek scored it 78-74, John Stewart had it 77-75, and Hubert Minn saw it 79-73. HBO unofficial scorer Harold Lederman also had Baldomir comfortably ahead by a 78-74 rating.
Any remaining suspense disappeared within the ninth.
Baldomir trapped Gatti along the ropes and unloaded a sustained attack with each hands. A left hook dropped Gatti for the primary knockdown. He beat the count, but Baldomir immediately resumed the assault, driving him back over again before one other combination sent him crashing to the canvas for a second time. Hedgepeth waved the fight off at 2:50 of the round, awarding Baldomir a technical knockout victory.
CompuBox statistics illustrated the difference. Baldomir finished with a 267-161 edge in total punches landed. He also connected on 226 power shots in comparison with 116 for Gatti. Through the decisive ninth round alone, Baldomir landed 40 of his 80 power punch attempts.
The victory removed any lingering doubt surrounding Baldomir’s championship reign. He had defeated Judah in certainly one of the yr’s biggest surprises before walking into Gatti’s home arena and controlling the fight from start to complete. The performance earned him an excellent larger opportunity against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The defeat for Gatti represented the closing chapter of his Atlantic City peak. During his post-fight interview with Larry Merchant, he admitted he wasn’t sure if he would box again, saying simply, “I had a very good time doing it.”
He returned over again in 2007 before retiring after a loss to Alfonso Gomez. Baldomir’s victory stays the night Atlantic City’s most beloved attraction gave method to an even bigger, stronger welterweight who refused to be overwhelmed by the occasion.
