HBO World Championship Boxing

Gatti vs. Branco

January 24, 2004

Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall - 10pm ET / 7pm PT

Atlantic City, New Jersey

HBO starts off the year with a Jr. welterweight title bout that puts former IBF super featherweight champion

Arturo Gatti against the undefeated European Jr. welterweight champion Gianluca Branco.

The hard knocking Gatti is coming off three successive fights with former WBU Jr. welterweight champion

Mickey Ward. Gatti lost the first fight between the two in May of 2002 via 10 round majority decision. The

rematch six months later saw Gatti take a 10 round unanimous decision win and in June of 2003, the

tie-breaking third match took place and Gatti once again came out victorious with another 10 round

unanimous decision win.

Branco has fought mainly in his homeland of Italy and has won 14 straight bouts including the European Jr.

welterweight title in 2001 since his only non-win bout - a draw with Viktor Baranov back in 1998.

Also on the card is WBC Continental Americas Jr. welterweight champion Francisco Bojado. Bojado was

scheduled to take on Jesse James Leija but Leija has pulled out because of injury. No opponent has been

named yet. Bojado last fight was in November of 2003 where he won a 12 round unanimous decision over

Juan Carlos Rubio to win the vacant WBC Continental Americas Jr. welterweight title.

WBC Jr. Welterweight Title Bout - 12 Rounds (vacant)

Arturo Gatti (36-6, 28 KO's) vs. Gianluca Branco (32-0-1, 15 KO's)

(1/13/04)