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By Steve Kim (Aug 28, 2009)
Bob Arum has promised everyone a 'spectacular' undercard for his November 14th pay-per-view show that features the showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. So far Arum hasn't lived up to that promise as he has announced his intentions to put the bout between Daniel Santos and Yuri Foreman on that card. A fight which brought collective groans from within Top Rank's offices and beyond. But this show could also feature a highly entertaining welterweight clash between Alfonso Gomez and Jesus Soto-Karass.
Gomez, fights this Saturday night versus Raul Munoz at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Meanwhile, that same evening, Jesus Soto-Karass performs in Grand Prairie, Texas as the headliner on TV Azteca. If they both come out victorious, look for them to square off underneath Pacquiao-Cotto.
At first, there was some hesitation from Gomez's manager, the respected Garry Gittelsohn, but it was clear that his fighter wanted this assignment.
"He asked me,' You want to fight Soto-Karass? He's there for you to fight. It's the biggest fight card of the year, if you want to take it.' I immediately said yes. Like he said, biggest card of the year, I want to fight on that card. And number two, I've sparred with Soto-Karass before and I feel I've done better than him in the gym. And during fight time we'll concentrate on his style and his strategy and we'll come up with a perfect plan to beat him," said Gomez, on Wednesday afternoon after shaking out at the Kalakaua Boxing Gym, just a few hours after arriving on the island.
Gittelsohn explained."I had heard about Bob Arum wanting to have a real barn-burner of an undercard on the Pacquiao-Cotto fight and so I had started hearing rumors of Alfonso against Soto-Karass and without any more information than that I wasn't going to consider it because I had other idea's in mind for Alfonso's career. But when it was formally approached to me, I considered a number of factors that I discussed openly with Top Rank. First of all, it's a tough fight but this is a wonderful opportunity for Alfonso to be highly ranked by all the organizations with a win and it's also puts him in contention for a wonderful television opportunity."
After several pow-wows with Top Rank matchmakers, Brad Goodman and Bruce Trampler and with the money being offered to Gomez significantly increasing, Gittelsohn decided to pull the trigger. But the biggest factor was that his fighter pushed hard for this fight.
"Yes," agreed the manager," I know fighters, especially like Alfonso, are always brave and there isn't anyone that he doesn't relish the opportunity to face. But he knows Soto-Karass, he's sparred with Soto-Karass. He oftentimes spent a lot of times in their gyms. So this is a known commodity for Alfonso and he wants the fight very badly."
It should be a slug-fest between two fan-friendly combatants that don't mind giving-and-taking leather. But within the industry, Soto-Karass, is considered the prohibitive favorite. Which doesn't faze Gomez one bit.
"It doesn't surprise me, In my 25 fights, in at least 20 of of them I've been the underdog and I've prevailed in most of them. I don't think this will be any different, especially now, I'm a new dad. Saturday I had my first daughter and it's going to motivate me even more," he says." So if I was someone to reckon with before, I'll be even more of a threat."
When asked his recollections of his past sparring sessions with Soto-Karass, Gomez says," More than anything, he hits very hard, the pressure he brings all night long. Other than that, I feel he's a straight forward guy, he punches hard. You stay in front of him, he'll eat you up alive. But somebody with tactics and a plan and good conditioning can do a good job against him."
He may have been against it at first, but now Gittelsohn is aboard. Hey, no guts, no glory, right?
" It's what every fighter wants and frankly, that's one of the key things that turned my mind towards making this fight happen. I mean, it was very clearly pointed out to me- this is the biggest event of the year. To get a televised featured spot on the undercard( of Pacquiao-Cotto), I don't think any boxer who really believes in themselves and wants to advance their career would turn it down."
But more than the platform, it's the opportunity for this former 'Contender' contestant to become a bona-fide welterweight contender.
"Obviously, since it's the biggest fight of the year, the international press is going to be there," Gomez pointed out." To beat Soto-Karass who's well-known fighter in the boxing world, it's going to make a statement."
Bob Arum has promised everyone a 'spectacular' undercard for his November 14th pay-per-view show that features the showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. So far Arum hasn't lived up to that promise as he has announced his intentions to put the bout between Daniel Santos and Yuri Foreman on that card. A fight which brought collective groans from within Top Rank's offices and beyond. But this show could also feature a highly entertaining welterweight clash between Alfonso Gomez and Jesus Soto-Karass.
Gomez, fights this Saturday night versus Raul Munoz at the Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Meanwhile, that same evening, Jesus Soto-Karass performs in Grand Prairie, Texas as the headliner on TV Azteca. If they both come out victorious, look for them to square off underneath Pacquiao-Cotto.
At first, there was some hesitation from Gomez's manager, the respected Garry Gittelsohn, but it was clear that his fighter wanted this assignment.
"He asked me,' You want to fight Soto-Karass? He's there for you to fight. It's the biggest fight card of the year, if you want to take it.' I immediately said yes. Like he said, biggest card of the year, I want to fight on that card. And number two, I've sparred with Soto-Karass before and I feel I've done better than him in the gym. And during fight time we'll concentrate on his style and his strategy and we'll come up with a perfect plan to beat him," said Gomez, on Wednesday afternoon after shaking out at the Kalakaua Boxing Gym, just a few hours after arriving on the island.
Gittelsohn explained."I had heard about Bob Arum wanting to have a real barn-burner of an undercard on the Pacquiao-Cotto fight and so I had started hearing rumors of Alfonso against Soto-Karass and without any more information than that I wasn't going to consider it because I had other idea's in mind for Alfonso's career. But when it was formally approached to me, I considered a number of factors that I discussed openly with Top Rank. First of all, it's a tough fight but this is a wonderful opportunity for Alfonso to be highly ranked by all the organizations with a win and it's also puts him in contention for a wonderful television opportunity."
After several pow-wows with Top Rank matchmakers, Brad Goodman and Bruce Trampler and with the money being offered to Gomez significantly increasing, Gittelsohn decided to pull the trigger. But the biggest factor was that his fighter pushed hard for this fight.
"Yes," agreed the manager," I know fighters, especially like Alfonso, are always brave and there isn't anyone that he doesn't relish the opportunity to face. But he knows Soto-Karass, he's sparred with Soto-Karass. He oftentimes spent a lot of times in their gyms. So this is a known commodity for Alfonso and he wants the fight very badly."
It should be a slug-fest between two fan-friendly combatants that don't mind giving-and-taking leather. But within the industry, Soto-Karass, is considered the prohibitive favorite. Which doesn't faze Gomez one bit.
"It doesn't surprise me, In my 25 fights, in at least 20 of of them I've been the underdog and I've prevailed in most of them. I don't think this will be any different, especially now, I'm a new dad. Saturday I had my first daughter and it's going to motivate me even more," he says." So if I was someone to reckon with before, I'll be even more of a threat."
When asked his recollections of his past sparring sessions with Soto-Karass, Gomez says," More than anything, he hits very hard, the pressure he brings all night long. Other than that, I feel he's a straight forward guy, he punches hard. You stay in front of him, he'll eat you up alive. But somebody with tactics and a plan and good conditioning can do a good job against him."
He may have been against it at first, but now Gittelsohn is aboard. Hey, no guts, no glory, right?
" It's what every fighter wants and frankly, that's one of the key things that turned my mind towards making this fight happen. I mean, it was very clearly pointed out to me- this is the biggest event of the year. To get a televised featured spot on the undercard( of Pacquiao-Cotto), I don't think any boxer who really believes in themselves and wants to advance their career would turn it down."
But more than the platform, it's the opportunity for this former 'Contender' contestant to become a bona-fide welterweight contender.
"Obviously, since it's the biggest fight of the year, the international press is going to be there," Gomez pointed out." To beat Soto-Karass who's well-known fighter in the boxing world, it's going to make a statement."
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