BoxRec

BRITISH super-featherweight champion Michael Gomez will fight Welshman Gavin Rees for the vacant WBU title next month in Edinburgh (March 27) - but will not be vacating his British title. Speaking from his Manchester home, Gomez’s trainer Billy Graham confirmed: "Michael and I have discussed this fully and we don’t intend to vacate the British title so that Alex Arthur can contest with somebody else.
"Why are we taking this line? Because, let’s say that Michael lost to Rees - a boxer we have never seen in action before - due to a cut eye, then that would be Michael having to go back to square one again trying to regain the British title - probably from Alex Arthur for the same rubbish money that we got for beating Arthur at Meadowbank last October.
"So we intend to keep the British super-featherweight title as a kind of fall-back insurance in case Michael loses to Rees by a cut for the WBU title."

PS: Kevin Lear has presumably been stripped of the WBU title.

I do not blame him in the slightest. I think it would only be fair for Arthur to wait a while for a crack.

Whatever happens, we will see a very different Arthur from now on as a fighter.

So it looks like Gomez has gone against Warren, although it wasn't certain that Arthur would have been able to contest the vacant British title anyway what with the boards questions about his pre-Gomez illness hanging in the air.

Gomez v Rees could be a belter.

Can't say I'm surprised that Lear has been stripped. I would have rather this been for an interim WBO belt or even a final eliminator. The WBO is not perfect, but is alot more respected than the WBU. Even following Gomez' excellent win, I'm sure he would have still been delighted to have faught for the WBO belt this year. Given both the fighters high ranking in the Organisation - and still no word that Casamayor/Corrales II is for an interim belt - I think this match could have been for a more pestrigeous honour.

Good domestic little scrap, I fancy the experience of Gomez to come through, but I don't think it will be as clear cut as Gomez vs Arthur, far from it.

I don't think Arthur will ever really recover from the Gomez defeat... the fact that he's been talking about retiring this year if he doesn't win a mayjor title tells me that all is not well and that he has lost his taste for the game.

We will know alot more about Gomez's supposed return to form after this bout - Rees has only one way to fight and will try to smother Gomez with punches from the 1st to the 12th.

Good old Gomez (never thought I'd say that) wins his belts back in massive fashion and then defends against a proper challenger (having never seen him fight) in his 1st defence!!

Get on!

Confidence? Stupidity?


Only time will tell.

I posted this last Friday on the Gomez Lear thread.
Old news, Bennie !

Kieran wrote:I posted this last Friday on the Gomez Lear thread.
Old news, Bennie !

Sorry, mate. Missed it completely. Has Lear been stripped, Beagle?

Yes.
I suspect that Frank Maloney has got this tactically right.
I think there were concerns over Kevin jumping striaght back in without a warm up.
I suspect the deal is whoever wins must fight Lear.
This gives Kevin a chance of a warm up fight in between.

I think Gomez is the type of fighter who needs a challenge... it'd be more dangerous at this point putting him in with an unknown... the Rees fight is a good move imo...

Kieran wrote:Yes.
I suspect that Frank Maloney has got this tactically right.
I think there were concerns over Kevin jumping striaght back in without a warm up.
I suspect the deal is whoever wins must fight Lear.
This gives Kevin a chance of a warm up fight in between.

True. Maloney has done the right thing. I see the Norweigan Hansvoll may be up next for Nelson?

About time for Gavin's Big Break... This should be a cracker!!!

Should be a great fight - Rees takes no prisoners, nor does Gomez.

With WBO number 1 & 2 Casamayor and Corrales fighting for the vacant WBO belt in March, the winner of this will move to number one position ( Rees is No #3 at moment ).

MightyWarrior wrote: With WBO number 1 & 2 Casamayor and Corrales fighting for the vacant WBO belt in March

Is this confirmed MW, I know that Casamayor is fighting Corrales again, but I haven't heard its for the title. I thought Freitas is apparently re-considering his options.

Imagine the scene in Edinburgh in March. Gomez meets Rees, Earl meets Vanzie - and Alex Arthur tops the bill against someone like Dariusz Snarski!
That's modern day boxing.

I think Arthur has been badly over-hyped... comparisons with Ken Buchanan or Jim Watt ar frankly outrageous.... he's a good fighter but nowhere near that class and Gomez exposed this fact....