Gatti test shows death by hanging

Arturo Gatti retired from professional boxing in 2007

A second post-mortem examination on former world boxing champion Arturo Gatti found he died by hanging, not strangling, Canadian media report.

The autopsy found no signs the Italian-Canadian boxer was tied up or beaten, Montreal newspaper La Presse reported.

The second autopsy was carried out at his family's request, They did not accept that he had killed himself.

Mr Gatti was found dead on 11 July in a hotel in north-eastern Brazil where he had been staying with his wife and son.

His Brazilian wife, who was initially arrested on suspicion of strangling him, said she felt vindicated by the latest findings.

The second post-mortem follows a ruling by a Brazilian judge that Mr Gatti had probably committed suicide.

According to the autopsy carried out by the Quebec coroner, there were no injuries to suggest he was hung by other people, La Presse reported.

However, toxicologists found a substance that causes drowsiness, the newspaper reported.

Mr Gatti's family did not accepted the Brazilian theory that he killed himself and last month had his body exhumed in Canada for a second post-mortem at the Quebec coroner's office.

Mr Gatti was IBF super-featherweight champion in 1995 and WBC light-welterweight champion in 2004, and retired in 2007.

His career spanned 49 fights and he won 40 of them, 31 by knockout. He retired two years ago.