Going into this fight, Arthur was the huge favourite. He had won all his bouts to date, and he had achieved an 87% knockout percentage in the process. Many thought he would go on to win world titles, and maybe even enter the esteemed 'pound for pound' list.
Michael Gomez had different ideas though. He wanted to win back his British Super Featherweight Title, and reaffirm himself as a top fighter. Gomez up to this point had had an up and down career, and many believed he was past his best - how he proved them wrong.
How Gomez vs. Arthur Played Out
In the opening seconds of the first round, Gomez hurt Arthur with a sharp left hook. He followed this up with some good work on the inside, but Arthur recovered well and used his superior skills to his advantage - throwing excellent jabs and combinations. This was probably enough to win him the round after his initial scare.
The second session really couldn't have gone much better for Arthur in contrast. Gomez couldn't get inside, and had to be content sitting on the outside eating combinations from Arthur. However, he kept patient, and kept plodding forward in a 'workman like' manner.
The third round was truly phenomenal, and both men were cut during this. Arthur started off well, but Gomez landed a massive left hook on the chin of Arthur. After this, Gomez couldn't miss with hooks, and Arthur's legs turned to wooden blocks. Alex managed to survive the round, but only just.
Arthur showed great heart in the fourth. He was still getting caught by masses of left hooks, but he managed to stay on his feet and he even hurt Gomez with a good right hook at one point. Arthur still looked woozy and in big trouble though.
Both men came out fighting for the fifth round. Gomez seemed to be slowing down a tad though, and at one point, Arthur rallied and hurt Gomez with a body shot. However, this was just meant to be Gomez' night, and he knocked Arthur down three times; all of these coming after left hooks.
Arthur showed a lot of heart getting up after the first two, but his inexperience showed as he got up too quickly from them, allowing Gomez to capitalise. This was a phenomenal victory for the massive underdog, Gomez.
Edinburgh Goes Silent
The atmosphere throughout the fight was electric. The bout was staged in Edinburgh, the hometown of Arthur, and they all expected their hero to walk through Gomez. However, the arena soon quietened when Gomez flattened Arthur three times in the fifth, as the fans there just couldn't believe the outcome.
Where Now For Arthur and Gomez?
In the fight after this, Gomez defeated Ben Odamattey to win the WBU Super Featherweight crown. While he was technically a 'world champion', this belt didn't really mean much, and when he moved up in quality, he was always found out. However, he always laid it all on the line and is a true warrior.
Arthur came very close to winning a world title, but to this day he hasn't managed it. In September of last year, he fought fellow Brit Nicky Cook for the WBO crown, but he came up short and lost a points decision. No one has managed to do what Gomez did to him though, which further underlines the achievement of the 'Irish Mexican'.
This was as enjoyable as boxing gets, and is definitely worth a watch. Both of them showed tremendous heart (even Arthur in defeat) and this personifies what boxing should be about.
How To Watch Gomez vs. Arthur
Please visit my profile page for details on how to watch this, or any other 'Classic Fight of the Week'.
