The 12-round junior welterweight fight at the 12,000-seat Boardwalk Hall is nearly sold out, as both fighters are known for electrifying fights and their non-stop action style.
On Friday, Dorin weighed-in for the fight at 139 pounds while Gatti tipped the scales at 139 1/4.
It's a fight with international appeal between two boxers who have spent formative years in Montreal, though at different times.
Arturo Gatti, left, and Leonard Dorin pose Friday after both easily made the weight for Saturday's fight in Atlantic City. (AP Photo/Mary Godleski)
Born in Italy, Gatti (37-6) came to Montreal as a child in the 1970s and learned to box in the city's gyms with his older brother Joe.
He headed to New Jersey to embark on a pro career, and was the IBF junior lightweight champ from December 1995 to January 1998.
During that time, he emerged as boxing's most exciting fighter, engaging in slugfests with Tracy Patterson, Wilson Rodriguez, and Gabe Ruelas. Along with his left hook, his ability to soak up punishment and come back from the brink of defeat became trademarks.
But in 1998, Gatti lost to Angel Manfredy and then twice to Ivan Robinson. In 2001, he made an ill-advised jump to welterweight to challenge Oscar De La Hoya, losing by stoppage in the fifth round.
Just as Gatti's days as a top fighter appeared over, he hooked up with trainer James "Buddy" McGirt. Since their partnership, McGirt has been able to get Gatti to successfully pay attention to using his boxing ability and employ defence.
The ability to alter his style served Gatti well in two wins in three fights against Mickey Ward in 2002-03, an unrelentingly vicious trilogy that captured the imagination of even the casual boxing fan. In his most recent fight, he defeated Gianluca Branco by unanimous decision in January.
Though he's spent less time in the professional spotlight, the 34-year-old Dorin is actually two years older than Gatti.
Born in Romania, the five-foot-four-inch fighter won bronze at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics before heading to Montreal to embark on a professional career with promoter Interbox in 1998.
Dorin (21-0-1) quickly became known for his ferocious style, and captured the WBA lightweight title in one of the most exciting fights of 2002, defeating Raul Balbi by split decision.
He easily defeated Balbi in a rematch, and then fought an action-packed unification fight with fellow lightweight champ Paul Spadafora. The fight, held in Spadafora's hometown of Pittsburgh, was ruled a draw, though many observers felt Dorin deserved the nod.
Dorin was scheduled to defend his title against Miguel Callist in a Romanian homecoming, but couldn't make the weight. He was stripped of the title, and moved up to the junior welterweight division.
Though Gatti is the naturally bigger man and contains more one-punch power, the conventional wisdom suggests it is Dorin who will want to turn the fight into a slugfest on the inside, while Gatti will seek to employ his reach and keep Dorin on the outside.
An intangible in the fight is the propensity of both fighters to suffer cuts.
A Gatti win could lead the way to a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Should Dorin be victorious, a fight with Mayweather or rematch with Spadafora would be most likely.
The Gatti-Dorin fight comes just over a year after Lennox Lewis and Kirk Johnson were scheduled to fight in what would have been the biggest bout between two Canadians, but the fight was cancelled when Johnson was injured in training.
by Chris Iorfida
