On this day, July 22, 2006, Carlos Baldomir made his first defense of his WBC Welterweight title by stopping feature hall-of-famer Arturo Gatti by way of a technical knockout in the ninth round. Baldomir won the WBC welterweight title when he defeated Zab Judah in his previous fight.
In Baldomir's first title defense he went to Gatti's hometown to face him. Gatti, a fan favorite known for his exciting fighting style, and ability to display resilence in the ring was overpowered by Baldomir. It was gradual beatdown. The win dispelled some negative thoughts around Baldomir as some viewed his win over Zab Judah as much a win as the level of commitment Judah had to the sport at that time. Defeating Gatti proved that Baldomir was a world-class fighter despite having several losses.
In the ninth round, Gatti was hurt and forced back against the ropes and as Baldomir subsequently knocked down Gatti with a left hook to the head. Though Gatti was able to managed to rise from the knockdown,Baldomir was unwilling to let him survive as a barrage of punches followed that sent Gatti down for a second time.
Referee Wayne Hedgepeth used his judgement as he stopped the bout, recognizing that Gatti was too tough for own good.
Following his victory over Gatti, Baldomir called out Floyd Mayweather Jr. This would be Baldomir's next fight, but like many who faced Floyd Mayweather, Baldomir hit air more than he did Mayweather.
