Thaxton ready to take on Gomez

[Press Release]

Jon Thaxton and his team today read with interest that Michael Gomez was willing to step into the ring with him, even in his beloved Norwich answering a challenge set down by Thaxton, Gomez said he wanted a warm up fight first, but then would fight Thaxton, anytime, anyplace before Christmas at lightweight.

Thaxton's promoter Neil Featherby had the following to say on the news that Gomez was up for the fight.

"We are prepared to make him a very substantial offer and one where he could only refuse for one reason only. We are happy to start talking right away if he is happy too. I have had discussions only today with our backer with regards the sum of money that we feel it would take to get him to the table and I feel confident that we can meet this. Perhaps I'm being naive, but having a reasonable idea with regards purses at this level, I'm pretty sure we are in a position to make it happen and have December three as a date."

Thaxton who turns 31 tomorrow is confident he can beat any lightweight in Europe and certainly a win over Gomez would show just where he stands in the lightweight division at present.

The twenty-eight year old Gomez who hails from Dublin but lives in Manchester is always involved in wars and is a former British and WBU super-featherweight champion who lost the WBU title last time out against Argentinean Javier Alvarez when he was stopped in the sixth round.

It would mean another Billy Graham trained opponent for Thaxton who went twelve rounds with Gomez's stablemate Ricky Hatton in 2000, in a fight that many felt Hatton was lucky to finish after suffering a cut that required twenty-eight stitches in the first round before going on to outpoint the Norwich man.

"I have never ducked an opponent in my career" said the WBF lightweight champion, "I have fought the best light-welterweight in World as well as many welterweight's and I know I am to strong for all the lightweights in Europe.

"Gomez is the one I want as he has said that all the lightweight's in Britain are scared of him, well this is one lightweight that is not scared and I am looking forward to shutting him up once and for all" said the likeable Thaxton.

Thaxton is going through an Indian summer at the moment and since he lost in a challenge for the Commonwealth light-welterweight title he has won his last seven fights, six of them coming inside the distance. In his last fight last weekend against Vasile Dragomir, a late replacement, he knocked him out with a big right-hook early in the fourth round a fight that Gomez was invited to attend but didn't make it.

None of Gomez's last twelve fights have gone the distance, with Gomez winning nine of them, his losses coming to the Alvarez, Kevin Lear and Laszlo Bognar who was supposed to be Thaxton's opponent for the WBF title before pulling out with an injury.

Certainly this one would be a cracker for the British fight fans and one that could spell the end of one of their careers and if they can come to an arrangement would certainly be something special for the armchair fans on TV too.

This couldn't fail to be a war but Thaxton's natural weight advantage and better chin would see him through imo.

Interesting, i havent seen Thaxton fight for a long time now. Is he any good still?

yes he is, we cover Jon quite a lot at the BBN kev the guy that runs it also does Jons sitre for him.

Nice chap form hwat ive heard and i tip him to beat Gomez if they meet anytime soon.

yes he is, we cover Jon quite a lot at the BBN kev the guy that runs it also does Jons sitre for him.

Nice chap form hwat ive heard and i tip him to beat Gomez if they meet anytime soon.

I've liked Thaxton ever since I saw him smash Scrap Iron Ryan. I hope he really kicks the **** out of Gomez because I can't stand him. He's up there with Farnell and Witter in my hate stakes.

:) :D get off that fence frank and tell us what you really think mate :D :cool:

Hehe. There's just something that really winds me up about Mancs with a "I'm so hard" attitude. :D

Thaxton is ready for Gomez now?... I don't mean to sound pesimistic, but Michael Gomez is:

To use the words of Billy Graham, "Shop worn".

I just saw on BBN that Gomez has decided against the Thaxton fight and is staying at 130 to try and secure a rematch with Javier Alvarez the guy who smashed him up not long ago, I thought Gomez was struggling with weight and that was the reason for the jump to 135 :confused: I remember Gomez' rematch with Bognar and that was a surprisingly good fight and I can see this one being something similar but with Gomez being beaten again.

I reckon Micahel Gomez is proof that a fighter can be shot at 27yrs old.

I'm not too interested in what he does from this stage onwards, as I believe he'll only go further down hill.

Gomez hard living life caught up with him a bit like the Legendary Manchester fighter called Farnell (what a warrior who could who have wars with the best Welterweights in the world when he was Light-middleweight). I remember Farnell calling out Ensley Bingham , Wayne Alexander then get bashed in 1 round by Takaloo and crying afterwards LOL

I remember both Farnell and Gomez were sharing a bill on skysports about 4-5yrs ago. Skysports were doing an interview/profile on them before the fight and they were eating a curry (the day of the fight after the weigh in).

They were both laughing and saying things like, "That Argy bastard is gonna be pissing blood for a week after I've finished with him!"...

I've never liked either of them after seeing that.

I remember both Farnell and Gomez were sharing a bill on skysports about 4-5yrs ago. Skysports were doing an interview/profile on them before the fight and they were eating a curry (the day of the fight after the weigh in).

They were both laughing and saying things like, "That Argy bastard is gonna be pissing blood for a week after I've finished with him!"...

I've never liked either of them after seeing that.

Talk about a coincidence, I was watching that tape last night and Gomez & Farnell were eating their pizza etc and Gomez was fighting Laszlo Bognar in a rematch, he was saying 'I'm going to eat Bognar as well tomorrow' doesn't sound too good to me! and Farnell who was fighting Takaloo said 'I'll be eating a vindaloo as well tomorrow' to which you could hear Paul Dempsey laughing in the background.
while I don't like the way he acts around fight time I do like Gomez' style, he was at the Docherty/Sinitsin fight when I was there and went to get my pic taken with him but my m8 shat it to come over with me and take the photo! talk about a *****, everytime he acts the hard man I just say shut up or i'll get wee Gomez to sort you out and he always denies all knowledge!

Speaking of Gomez:

Gomez: "Arthur rematch will never happen"

By Ant Evans: Michael Gomez says he has given up any lingering hope of rematching with Alex Arthur, and has branded the reigning European Champion 'an absolute coward'. Gomez inflicted the only defeat of the highly rated Scot's career in a thriller back in October 2003 and, in circumstances which could only occur in boxing, has been the one chasing a rematch with the loser ever since.

"I've gone to every one of Arthur's fights," the Manchester fighter with the Mexican gimmick said. "I've been there making a right prick of myself, wearing my big silly hats, in front of his own fans calling him out. And he's never had the guts to do that. Last time, when he fought (European champ Boris Sinitsin) in July, I actually got in the ring and was going to ask him why he's so afraid of me but he had loads of security around him.

"I couldn't get on the camera but I could see that he saw me. He looked nervous, terrified. That's when I knew the fight would never happen. Alex Arthur is scared ****less of me and so that fight will never happen again."

Gomez, real name Michael Armstrong, suffered a stoppage to Javier Osvaldo Alvarez in his last fight in February, which obviously weakens the validity of his demands for a European Title shot.

"I was dead at the weight, " Gomez said. "I'm fighting at lightweight now but me and Arthur is still the biggest fight out there for him. We can do it at catch weight. He's big at super-featherweight, too. When I was stopped by Laszlo Bognar (in 2001) I told Frank (Warren, promoter) to get me the rematch straight away. I wanted to set the record straight (Gomez climbed off the canvas to stop Bognor in the return). Arthur doesn't want to do that.

"I know Frank wants to do the fight but Arthur doesn't want it."

So which is right? In the other report he said he wasn't fighting Thaxton at 135 because he was going back down to 130, now this comes out!

I think Gomez has been the reason that the "Micahel Gomez vs Alex Arthur II" fight never happened.

I remember Gomez being ringside to Arthur's return bout, and he was being interviewed... Gomez said, "yeah I'll fight Arthur again, but only for £100,000".

Frank Warren said that Gomez was just flat out asking for too much money.

Who knows??? :dunno:

I never seem to hear Arthur talking about a rematch which is strange, you'd think he'd want to avenge that but after Arthurs last fight Gomez was there and Arthur was basically saying what's Gomez got to offer now he's been beaten? Well he did batter you for a start! I would've liked to have seen a rematch by now cos that was what 2 years ago now? And remember most of us though Gomez was finished before the Arthur fight so 2 years down the road and a beating later, I think Arthur would win but Gomez because of the sort of guy he is will show any mental frailties that Arthur might have about facing him again or he may just have his number, either way I don't think we'll see these two sharing a ring again the time seems to have passed on this (Like Hatton/Witter a while ago everyone wanted to see it now no one gives a ****)

agreed although a lot of witter fans constantly bleat on about hatton. mainly to cover up their own man's piss poor performances of late.