By Mark Vester
Mark the date on your calendar because HBO is putting on a can't miss triple play on July 14.
According to the New Jersey Star Ledger , the main event, coming from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, will pit Arturo "Thunder" Gatti against Alfonso Gomez (16-3-2, 7 KOs), former contestant in The Contender reality show. Pat Lynch, Gatti's manager, told the paper that Gomez will be a good comeback opponent for his fighter.
"Gomez is a very tough kid who comes straight forward. He looks to rumble, nothing fancy," said Lynch. "His second fight with Jesse Feliciano was probably one of the best fights of the past year. And he has a very good chin."
The televised co-feature will pit Kermit Cintron (27-1, 25KOs), making the first defense of his IBF welterweight title against the hard punching Walter Dario Matthysse (26-1, 25KOs). Matthysse's only defeat came at the hands of unbeaten Paul Williams in a ten-round war that ended in a KO loss.
The final fight to round off the triple play will see Antonio Margarito defend his WBO welterweight title against Paul "The Punisher" Williams in one of the more anticipated fights of the year. Unlike the other two bouts on the HBO telecast, the Margarito-Williams encounter will take place from a location on the west coast.
