Tweet
Michael Gomez lit up the Manchester fight scene in the late 90s with his thrilling performances and legion of loyal fans throwing their sombreros in the air after watching their hero storm to victory.
Now his son Michael Gomez Jnr., 19, carries on the family tradition when he makes his professional debut on the undercard of the big Dereck Chisora v Tyson Fury card onSaturday 26th July at the Phones 4 U Arena in Manchester.
Gomez Snr’s incredible life story has been well document and was turned into a movie.
Born in the back of a car in Ireland into a family of nine brothers and sisters, Gomez and his family moved to Manchester when he was ten. He spent much of his youth in children’s homes, but then found legendary Manchester trainer Brian Hughes’ boxing gym and began training. Cleared of manslaughter after he hit a man during a gang fight outside a nightclub after it was ruled he acted in self defence, he was then pronounced temporarily dead after he was stabbed during a street fight.
He changed his surname from Armstrong to Gomez - after his hero, the Puerto Rican great, Wilfredo Gomez - when another boxer had the same name.
Inside the ring Gomez Snr. thrilled his fans with his brawling style that took him to Central Area and IBF Intercontinental titles at featherweight, WBO and WBA Intercontinental, WBU World and winning outright the Lonsdale belt at super-featherweight.
He faced some of the big names including Amir Khan and Ricky Burns, but is best remembered for his unbelievable upset of then unbeaten golden boy Alex Arthur in his Edinburgh backyard, stopping Arthur in the fifth round of a brutal fight.
Gomez Jnr, who won 37 out of 49 fights as an amateur, enters the professional ranks when he takes on tough Welshman Darren Pryce over four rounds at featherweight.
“It’s fantastic to make my pro debut in the venue that my dad fought at many times in his heyday,” Said Gomez Jnr. [Click Here To Read More]
Now his son Michael Gomez Jnr., 19, carries on the family tradition when he makes his professional debut on the undercard of the big Dereck Chisora v Tyson Fury card onSaturday 26th July at the Phones 4 U Arena in Manchester.
Gomez Snr’s incredible life story has been well document and was turned into a movie.
Born in the back of a car in Ireland into a family of nine brothers and sisters, Gomez and his family moved to Manchester when he was ten. He spent much of his youth in children’s homes, but then found legendary Manchester trainer Brian Hughes’ boxing gym and began training. Cleared of manslaughter after he hit a man during a gang fight outside a nightclub after it was ruled he acted in self defence, he was then pronounced temporarily dead after he was stabbed during a street fight.
He changed his surname from Armstrong to Gomez - after his hero, the Puerto Rican great, Wilfredo Gomez - when another boxer had the same name.
Inside the ring Gomez Snr. thrilled his fans with his brawling style that took him to Central Area and IBF Intercontinental titles at featherweight, WBO and WBA Intercontinental, WBU World and winning outright the Lonsdale belt at super-featherweight.
He faced some of the big names including Amir Khan and Ricky Burns, but is best remembered for his unbelievable upset of then unbeaten golden boy Alex Arthur in his Edinburgh backyard, stopping Arthur in the fifth round of a brutal fight.
Gomez Jnr, who won 37 out of 49 fights as an amateur, enters the professional ranks when he takes on tough Welshman Darren Pryce over four rounds at featherweight.
“It’s fantastic to make my pro debut in the venue that my dad fought at many times in his heyday,” Said Gomez Jnr. [Click Here To Read More]