Sorry if this should have been put in the NFL forum. Since nothing is going on, I thought this might interest a few. I miss you Wayne. :sad: Chrebet understands Gatti's passion Saturday, July 14, 2007 By KEITH IDEC HERALD NEWS http://www.northjersey.com/page.php...lRUV5eTcxNjkwNjEmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2 Most people within Arturo Gatti?s inner circle cannot relate to the 35-year-old fighter?s desire to continue boxing after earning nearly $30 million, winning world titles in two weight classes and providing more healthdefying thrills than fight fans can count. Wayne Chrebet is not among them. The Garfield High School graduate has a unique understanding of his close friend?s need to continue fighting, despite justifiable concerns regarding Gatti?s longterm physical well-being. Even as his concussion count reached an alarming level, Chrebet continued to suit up for the Jets during the 2005 season, disregarding pleas from family members and friendsto at least consider calling it a career. Concussions finally forced Chrebet to officially retire 13 months ago, but the second-leading receiver in the franchise?s history deeply misses competing, the adulation, the multimillion- dollar contract ? everything that made his unlikely 11-year NFL career so fulfilling. Gatti will return to the ring tonight against Alfonso Gomez for those same reasons, so Chrebet continues to strongly support the New Jersey boxing legend. ?I don?t play anymore, but I want to,? Chrebet said. ?And for someone like him, fighting is all he knows. So for him to not fight anymore, it would be devastating to him. So that?s why he comes back.? Chrebet knew, too, that Gatti was beset by family problems during training for his last fight, distractions Gatti contends contributed greatly to his eighth-round knockout defeat to Carlos Baldomir, then the World Boxing Council welterweight champ, on July 22 at Boardwalk Hall. After spending a week recently at Gatti?s training camp in Pompano Beach, Fla., Chrebet?s convinced that he?ll bounce back from that devastating defeat against Gomez (16-3-2, 7 KOs), a game-but-limited contestant on the first season of ?The Contender.? Chrebet can speak from experience as well, as he sparred a few rounds against Gatti (40-8, 31 KOs) on a day one of Gatti?s sparring partners couldn?t compete. ?The last fight was tough, but it doesn?t mean he can?t bounce back from it,? said Chrebet, who will help lead Gatti into the ring again tonight. ?He?s ready. I was down there in training camp with him. He?s definitely in a different state of mind than he was in for the last fight. So I expect nothing but good things (tonight).? Micky Ward, Gatti?s foe-turnedfriend- turned-trainer, was also impressed with what he saw during camp. ?In a sense, you can?t blame people for thinking Arturo?s finished because of all the stuff he?s been through,? Ward said. ?But when you go to camp with him, you see how hard he?s working and what he still has left, you get a whole different feeling. This kid?s got a lot left.? If Gatti gets by Gomez, he?ll likely face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (32-0-1, 25 KOs), the developing son of the Mexican legend, on Nov. 10 at Boardwalk Hall. If he overcomes Chavez, the longtime northern New Jersey resident wants to pursue another welterweight title shot. Regardless, retirement is in his not-too-distant future, and Chrebet intends to help Gatti become comfortable with his post-boxing life. These days, the 33-year-old Chrebet owns a sports lounge/restaurant near the Hofstra University football field where he made headlines in the early 1990s. The Colts Neck resident also provides color commentary for SNY?s Jets coverage. The transition hasn?t been seamless, though, and one of the most popular players in Jets history expects Gatti to experience similar problems once he fights for the last time. ?We?re very comparable, our stories and how we?re perceived by the public,? said Chrebet, a married father of 5-year-old and 3-year-old sons. ?You feed off of that. People love to see him fight, people love to see me play. We?re blue-collar guys. So I know what he?s going through. And I?ll know what he?s going through when he decides not to fight anymore. I?ll just try to be there to support him. It?s not going to be easy.?
I miss Wayne too He's my favorite Jet! I wore his jersey for 11 years. When he retired, I retired his jersey. It's now framed and hanging in my den. I need to check out his bar the next time I'm in NY.
