Boxing News Boxing News
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I arrived at the Phoenix Buildings in Stalybridge, Manchester England yesterday looking forward to seeing former British Super Featherweight Champion Michael Gomez as he prepares for the fight night billed as “Nowhere to run! Nowhere to hide!” on October 19 at the Doncaster Dome in Doncaster, England in which Michael will challenge current British 130 lb Champion Carl Johanneson on a Frank Maloney Promotion.
Pulling up a side street, I parked outside the corrugated steel building – home to Bobby Rimmers’ Boxing Academy . The phrase “never judge a book by its cover’ sprang to mind as I entered through the main door. A neat reception and bright comfy cafe area reveals a smart interior.
Up a few steps and I walk through the Ultimate Fitness gym that houses a multitude of fitness machines and full height mirrors. Up a further few steps and I enter Bobby’s place where Michael Gomez is already power-skipping alongside young boxer Jack Arnfield.
Bobby approaches me with his usual big grin and introduces me to Michael, but he needn’t have bothered because Mike couldn’t remember my name from start to finish and had to revert to “Luv’ for the duration!
Bobby apologises that I won’t be able to see Mike sparring today. It’s getting to be a habit – sparring partners endure a session with Mike just once, never to return…and today was no exception!
There must have been more than a dozen punchbags hanging in the gym and a ring took up the space at the top of the room under the watchful eye of the six foot Statue of Liberty. The walls were adorned with pictures and photos, some of Ricky Hatton.
After the skipping session, Mike steps in to the ring where Bobby is waiting. Wearing a black body belt – he watches the clock as Mike prepares to work.
During each session, Michael Gomez throws everything he’s got – left hooks, right hooks, body punches. All the time, stablemate Brian Rose shouts encouragement and praise from ringside.
Mike’s eyes flare like a man possessed as he pounds away at Bobby. In between each “round’ – Mike jumps down to the gym floor and works on the punchbags then jumps back-and-to over the bar while Jack Arnfield takes his turn in the ring.
The training is unceasing…Gomez doesn’t stop working! He is so fired up and the excitement he shows is infectious. Like a little Tazmanian Devil – he darts from one bag to another like he can’t get enough!
After several rounds in the ring, Mike stops momentarily so I can take a photo – all the time he is talking excitedly and loudly till it builds in to a crescendo and he’s yelling “Bobby!’.
He doesn’t stand still for long though and he’s back across the gym again punching another bag, then over to the ring where he does sit-ups with Jack.
He jumps down and asks if I’m going to interview him, so I follow him next door to the fitness gym where he does 15 minutes or so on the “stepper’ while we chat.
He looks totally fit and ready for this fight and the confidence radiates from him. He looks great and he knows it!
He talked about he and Carl Johanneson being like “cornered-rats’ and when they’re let out they’ll be going for the jugular. Ideally, he would like the fight to go to the latter rounds – to be victorious after a “war’ of a fight.
He doesn’t believe that Johnanneson has faced any really big hitters apart from European Champion Leva Kirokosyan, who is the common opponent between the two men.
“I’m already the comeback kid but Johanneson hasn’t done that “ Mike says. “I’ve got nothing to lose and I’m just gonna keep going that night – I don’t care how much I’m hurting – I could be dying in there but I won’t stop till I’ve won”
And honestly – I believe him!
He talked about the night he fought Peter McDonagh for the Irish Lightweight title, saying he felt too “bulky’. He said that the weight was fine now and has been for a couple of weeks, as he’d prepared for his warm-up fight which was subsequently cancelled when he took this one – so now they’re concentrating on speed.
His last real work-out will be a 12-round session in the ring next Friday.
I asked about the upcoming theatrical film based on his life.
“It’s a great trailer…” I tell him. “Oh you like it? I haven’t had too much to do with the film but the book will be released first, before the film comes out,” Mike he smiles “maybe early spring”.
The film and the book are about Mike’s life and judging by the trailer (see it on www.michael-gomez.co.uk homepage) it looks to have been a difficult one.
He is played by ‘Lip’, who is his good mate anyway in real life, off ‘Shameless’ which was a channel 4 production about a family in Manchester and the film takes the same style as ‘Shameless’.
Also, Barney from the program Seconds Out on Channel M, a Manchester channel, has a part in the film and can be seen on the trailer.
The book on Gomez, which he has had more to do with, will be released before the film comes out.
Bobby Rimmer adds that the two of them had just done an episode for Seconds Out on Channel M to be shown in the next couple of weeks .”It’ll be hilarious that will,” Mike laughs. “We only had one little microphone between us so I had to sit with my arm round Mike and get in close,” Bobby chuckles.
Mike is looking forward to getting married on November 17 to long-term partner, Alison, who he’s been with her for 16 years. They have three children.
Ever the joker, Gomez quips that Kylie Minogue hasn’t been able to “find’ him all these years, that’s why she hasn’t asked him out…so he’s gonna settle for Alison.
He obviously thinks the world of his fiancee – saying how she’s stuck by him through everything, all the trouble, prison, getting stabbed, the boxing, the down times and she’s still there for him.
As I turn to leave, Mike is still joking , “you know, Bobby’s been on a diet for 16 years and it hasn’t worked! He’s got that Bulimia ..but he keeps forgetting to throw-up.”
And he’s still shouting “Bobby!’ as we’re going out the door…
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