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Photos ©Jane Warburton/SaddoBoxing
After a busy day working out for the media, signing autograph and chatting to many fans in the Gateshead section of Newcastle, England, Alfonso Gomez of both the US and UK versions of The Contender television programs was kind enough to speak by phone exclusively to SaddoBoxing as he rested in his hotel room.
A 26 year old light middleweight from Los Angeles, Gomez, 15-3-2 (6), was a struggling six round fighter when he was projected into the limelight two and a half years ago via The Contender on NBC in America. Gomez racked up wins on the program against the likes of Peter Manfredo, Jessie Brinkley and Ahmed Kaddour while losing to Manfredo in a rematch and also to Luciano Perez.
This Friday, Gomez will challenge Leicester banger Martin Conception, 11-3 (8), on ITV’s version of The Contender, with the bout taking place on a bill from the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.
SaddoBoxing: Is this your first trip to England?
Alfonso Gomez: “It’s my first trip to England and in fact, my first trip overseas.”
SB: Did you enjoy the flight then?
AG: “Yeah, it was a bit bumpy at times and it’s a 10 hour flight, but once you’re on the plane, it seems to go like that.”
SB: So what do you think of England so far?
AG: “Well, the weather is a bit different! It’s not the sort of weather we get in California. One day it’s okay and the next it’s really cold.”
SB: (laughing) You’re lucky really because we’ve had better weather the last couple of days.
AG: “It’s not as cold this week, but it’s cold for me.”
SB: So you have to wrap up warm then?
AG: “Oh yeah (laughing), I wear a shirt, a sweater, a jacket and pants and a beanie hat. I see some people go for runs wearing shorts and t-shirt (sounding shocked).”
SB: I loved watching The Contender Series, would you recommend that to other up and coming boxers?
AG: “Yeah, the thing with The Contender programme is that it showed the public the real heart of boxing. It showed the boxers’ families and their struggles, it showed their emotions, it showed that they were family men just trying to do the best for their families.
“That’s what made it a great show because it wasn’t just about guys boxing. Boxing has gone down the last few years and this [television coverage] is a way of promoting boxing and reviving it. It’s not as good as back in the eighties when there were great fighters like Muhammad Ali and lots of support, lots of fans.
“The whole idea of the Contender Series is to have it on free TV so anyone can watch it, not pay-per-view where not everyone
can afford to watch it. So now, with The Contender being on free TV, it’s a way of getting people back in to it [boxing].”
SB: What would you say has been your hardest fight to date?
AG: “Well…all my fights have been hard. I can’t pick one fight out. Each fight is different, I’ve fought some very tough fights but I’ve come through.”
SB: You’re fighting Martin Concepcion this Friday; what are your thoughts?
AG: “I need to concentrate on this fight. Like me, Martin is at a crossroads in his career and victory is very important to both of us.”
SB: If all goes well for you in this one, who would you like to box next?
AG: “I would like to fight a Top 10 fighter; I think I’m ready to fight a Top 10 ranked fighter in my division, but I’m not really thinking of that right now.”
SB: Do you have a prediction for how this fight will go?
AG: “Just that this fight will be a war. He’s a tough guy, but I know that for me it will be victory. I don’t know whether it will be by knockout or what, but it will be a victory. I have been training hard.”
SB: What do you see in your future? What is your goal?
AG: “What I see is definitely a world title.”
SB: Thank you so much for talking with us, Alfonso. Good Luck with everything.
AG: “Okay, thank you.”
