In 2003, hot prospect Alex Arthur fought Michael Gomez, in a match he was meant to breeze through. Unfortunately for him, Michael Gomez showed his warrior heart and knocked him out in one of the best domestic bouts of the last decade.
In 2008, Michael Gomez seemed to be in a similar position. Opposing him was another prospect, this time Olympic Silver medalist Amir Khan; and no one gave the 'Manchester Mexican' a chance, some even predicting he would be knocked out in the first round. While Khan didn't manage this, he just about stopped Gomez ploughing through him and making him Alex Arthur version 2.
How Khan vs. Gomez Went
What was apparent from the offset was the blurring handspeed of Khan. While Gomez was bobbing and weaving, he couldn't get out of the way of the combinations of Khan, and he was put down mid-way through the round after a superb flurry. However, the fight was far from over as Gomez recovered well.
In the second round, unbelievably, Khan ended up on the canvas. Gomez came out fast for this session, and connected with a cracking left hook to the chin. Khan looked a little wobbled, but when he got up continued to fire back, although Gomez was given a lot of encouragement from the knockdown and was looking for the finish.
Gomez once again came out with a purpose when the third round arrived, but Khan boxed sensibly this round, and used his incredible speed and combinations to his advantage. Gomez was beginning to look jaded by this point, but his work on the inside still troubled Khan.
In the fourth, Gomez' work on the inside really bothered Khan. A left to the body hurt the Olympic silver medalist, and forced him to back off which gave Gomez further impetus to push forward (not that he needed it). Khan's workrate dropped in this round, and he just couldn't repel the hearty Gomez.
The fight was to end in the fifth round though. Gomez was exhausted by this point, and he was put down by a body shot at the start of the round. The end appeared to be nigh for Gomez, and it was, as he was saved by the referee as Khan wailed away on him on the ropes.
The Implications of Khan vs. Gomez
While Michael Gomez didn't win the fight, the fact he seriously challenged an up and comer when he himself was well past his best rose his stock massively. A film is coming out about his life, and this will no doubt be a chapter in that movie.
As for Khan, this fed his critics as questions were raised about his chin and ability to stick to a gameplan. However, what couldn't be doubted after this fight is his heart, as he showed a ton of it to get through the wily veteran Gomez.
How To Watch Khan vs. Gomez
Khan vs. Gomez was this week's 'Classic Fight of the Week'. Please visit my profile page for details on how to watch this, or any of the fights previously covered in this column.
