By TK Stewart
In two weeks, Alfonso Gomez will try to do what underdogs do in boxing - upset the champ. He'll step through the ropes and into the ring at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall and take a shot at doing what 31 other guys have been unable to do - send Miguel Cotto back home to Puerto Rico as a loser.
Make no mistake about it, Alfonso Gomez is a big underdog against Cotto, who some have dared whisper might be one of the greats.
Hailing from the dusty streets of Guadalajara, Mexico before migrating to California with his family, who were all in search of a better existence, Gomez has persevered in a life that made him an underdog from the get-go.
"I have proven time and time again, since my amateur days, that I can overcome obstacles," says the youthful Gomez, who has a matinee-idol face that looks like it belongs in a Latin soap opera.
"I did it in my first pro fight, fighting in somebody else’s backyard. I proved it against Ishe Smith fighting in his backyard. In "The Contender" against Peter Manfredo, who was ranked number three. Jesse Brinkley, Arturo Gatti, Ben Tackie - I can name a dozen of them where I’ve been the underdog. I’ve had people tell me, 'Ahh, you’re going to get knocked out.' But, you know, I just keep proving people wrong."
While he didn't ascend to "The Contender" reality show throne, Gomez became a fan favorite because of his friendly personality and engaging smile. The reality show was the platform that enabled him to tell his story to the masses of wanting to provide for his family through boxing. He's been able to make a better life for himself and his family, but he has a burning desire for more.
And he'll tell you with a serious look that, "Poverty was my motivator."
Last summer, Gomez shocked the boxing world against Arturo Gatti when he sent the human highlight reel into a hasty retirement after seven bloody rounds. With a big right hand that came all the way from the back alleys of Guadalajara, Gomez freed up Gatti's future as a prizefighter and laid open Gatti's lip like a filleted fish. He sent HBO's favorite son sinking to the floor, and on that night there would be no miracle comeback for Arturo. Gomez made sure of that.
"I prepared insanely for that fight," he says. "I didn't take any shortcuts during training camp.”
Most people laugh off the comparisons that Gomez makes between Gatti, who was a shell of his former self, and Cotto, who is a beast that is likely in his prime.
"I’m prepared for no matter what," he says of Cotto. "It’s like with Arturo Gatti, I try to make different plans. I didn’t know that night what Arturo Gatti was going to show up - the brawler or the boxer. So, I know Miguel Cotto has good boxing skills and he has tremendous toe-to-toe skills. I’m prepared for both - for the boxer or the brawler."
Others criticize Gomez' most recent opponent, the oft-beaten Ben Tackie, whom he outpointed a few months back. But again, Gomez defends the opposition and his performance. "I wasn't able to stop him," he says of Tackie. "But I dominated every round and I demonstrated that I'm ready for the world titles."
When asked about just how it is he plans on doing what Shane Mosley and Zab Judah could not, Gomez doesn't get into the hype and blather that is the norm for many fighters in this day and age. "Well, you know, I can say a million things but there is only one way to prove it - and that is April 12th. All I can do is feed on that negativity and feed on those critics just to motivate me and make things even easier for myself."
When pressed for the specifics though, Gomez delves into his thought process and sizes up the many ways he might have a chance against Cotto.
"One of them is the fact that I am bigger than him. I’m a natural welterweight. And you know, on his record he really hasn’t faced a natural welterweight. They’re usually fighters that come up from lower weight divisions like Mosley and Judah and Quintana and so on. So I’m the first natural welterweight he fights and hopefully that will be something that shows in the fight. If he comes well prepared I see it playing out as a tremendous fight. A fight to remember for the fans. There’s gonna be blood, there’s gonna be a lot of sweat. Hopefully there will be knockdowns, but primarily I see myself winning this fight, a victory for the Gomez team and a new champion from Mexico."
He says that he has watched the videos of Cotto so many times that he knows what Miguel is going to do before he does it. While supporters of Cotto don't see much to pick apart, Gomez says he's seen a few flaws in the WBA welterweight titlist’s game. "