Famed welterweight and lightweight Canadian boxer Arturo Gatti was found dead in a hotel in Brazil on Saturday (July 11), where his wife and young child were vacationing.

His 23-year-old wife has been charged with the murder, which was done by strangulation, while they stay in a northern Brazilian seaside resort of Porto de Galinhas.

Police official Osmar Silva Santiago confirmed local reports to CNN.com, that Gatti's body was found Saturday morning in his hotel room with strangulation marks.

Police then found a blood-stained purse strap from the scene, and later charged Amada Rodrigues with the murder. She was being held in the Atlantic port city of Recife while the investigation was underway.

Rodrigues first became a suspect and was detained, after police began to notice inconsistencies in the interrogation.

At press time, it's unknown what her motive was, or if the couple had been fighting. Stay tuned for updates.

Gatti was just 37 years old.

He made a name for himself in a trio of fights against "Irish" Micky Ward, losing the first but triumphing in the other two.

The boxer went on to hold the IBF super-featherweight and WBC light-welterweight titles, and he also won the WBC junior welterweight belt, before losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2005.

Gatti retired in 2007 after suffering a knockout defeat by Alfonso Gomez in his comeback, ending with a record of 40 wins and nine losses.