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Ah, Michael Gomez, the apparent scourge of my countrymen. Yes, folks, the love-him-or-hate-him pseudo-Mexican has been goading Scotland’s most credible champion, clearly not content with the current crop of Scottish scalps dangling from his belt. The real question is what initiated this very public challenge? Well, it could be any number of things. After all, Gomez’s gob is as |
predictable as a game of Russian Roulette. That being said, two plausible explanations spring to mind:
1) Gomez, having watched Harrison limp his way to a draw against the interminably underrated Victor Polo, came to the tediously popular conclusion that Harrison is, indeed, overrated; however, I don’t believe this to be the case. Gomez presents a rude, rash exterior, but I imagine he has a lot more going on “upstairs’ than some give him credit for. I simply find it hard to believe, given his own ups-and-downs, that he would be guilty of judging a fighter based on one performance, disregarding Harrison’s career prior to the Polo debacle. He should know as well as anyone that fights don’t always go according to plan.
2) Gomez has had a hard career and must trade on his standing within the super featherweight division, currently at its peak. Indeed, a fight with the WBO ruler “Mighty’ Mike Anchondo is not inconceivable. But then again, these fights have proven notoriously difficult to negotiate. A more realistic target comes in the form of Scott Harrison. High profile? Check. Nice little payday? Check.
Now, Gomez has struggled recently, looking alarmingly shaky against the Russian Leva Kirakosyan, so maybe even he realizes that his career is winding down. That’s not to say that he doesn’t believe he can beat Harrison. He does, and only a fool would write him off. In fact, had Gomez been around in Wallace’s day, the credits might have rolled at the ninety-minute mark of Braveheart, such is his record against the Scots.
To my mind, the latter appears the more viable rationale. I think I speak for the majority of British boxing fans when I say that I would first like to see Gomez give Alex Arthur the rematch he deserves. After all, Arthur gave Gomez the chance when everyone had written him off. Surely, the favor should be reciprocated. The prospect of that fight would arguably garner more interest than any fight with Harrison. For that to happen, though, Gomez first has to back down on the almost comical price tag he has slapped on himself. It’s the rematch everyone bar Gomez wants to see. But why is that? Arthur has undoubtedly repaired his leaky defense, the only real weakness to his game, but that is unlikely to deter a fighter like Gomez; he is not the type to duck an opponent.
Money is unequivocally his main priority at this moment in time; therefore, a very risky fight against Arthur is probably something he will look at after he has exhausted all alternative options. Whatever his chosen path, it looks like he’s on a collision course with at least one Scotsman. Should the Manchester man prevail, “Scourge of the Scots” may be a tag that sticks. And given the current climate of Scottish boxing, that’s all we bloody need.
James MacDonald can be reached at ac009b5460@blueyonder.co.uk
