Gatti hits the canvas in the ninth round after a left hook

Baldomir stopped Gatti in the ninth round, knocking him to the canvas twice in quick succession after dominating the majority of the fight.

Gatti, who said he was now considering retirement, was cut early on and struggled with Baldomir's power.

"Now it's up to the public to see I'm a true champion," said Baldomir.

"I did say that I was a stronger puncher than Gatti before the fight and I could tell in the first two or three rounds that I was.

"The punches Gatti was throwing didn't hurt me at all. When he put his left hand down, I just knew I could hit him with the right."

The win was Baldomir's 43rd as a professional, but only his 13th inside the distance.

Baldomir effectively ended the contest with a vicious left hook in the ninth which sent Gatti to the floor.

I'm going to think about retirement Arturo Gatti

The brave Canadian picked himself up but was soon on the canvas again, leading referee Wayne Hedgepeth to bring proceedings to an end.

Gatti said he struggled to cope with Baldomir's strength and admitted he was thinking about retirement.

"By the time I neutralised him with my boxing ability, it was too late," said Gatti.

"He was getting stronger and I was feeling weaker. I was just fighting a stronger guy.

"It's tough taking a beating like that. I don't know what I'm going to do - I'm going to think about retirement."