Alfonso Gomez On Boxing Arturo Gatti

Los Angeles, Cal., May 14, 2007 – As he begins the most intense training camp of his career, Alfonso S. Gomez (16-3-2, 7 KO’s) took time out to speak about his upcoming match against rugged blood-and-guts veteran Arturo Gatti (40-8, 31 KO’s). The 10-round bout takes place July 14 in Atlantic City as part of a triple-header welterweight event on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing.”

“More than anything, I feel privileged to be able to fight him,” Gomez says. “When I’ve been asked in the past who I would like to fight, I have always said Arturo Gatti. There is a saying that when you want something, the universe conspires to help you get it, and I believe that.”

“Not every boxer gets a chance like this,” Gomez continues. “This is my second big chance for exposure after The Contender, so I am grateful for the opportunity.”

After weeks of negotiation in which Gomez was one of several possible Gatti opponents, HBO gave him the nod after his TKO of Martin Concepcion in the “Contender UK vs. USA” special which aired April 24 on ESPN.

Gatti’s camp also felt Gomez was a better match for their fighter than some of the others under consideration, with compatible fight styles a key component of what may well be one of the last fights of Gatti’s career.

“They felt that some of the other guys would try to box him and Gatti would have to chase them around the ring, but they knew that I would stand there and bang with him,” Gomez says. “When I’m in a fight, jabbing and moving and boxing, my instinct is always to brawl inside. Maybe it’s because I know that’s what people like and Gatti knows that, too. That’s what will make this an amazing fight.”

Gomez’s manager Gary Gittelsohn agrees that the match-up of the two brawlers will make for an unforgettable night for fight fans.

“Style-wise, it doesn’t get any better than this,” Gittelsohn says. “Alfonso Gomez is a modern-day, offensive, perpetual-motion machine and Gatti’s reputation as a “never-give-up’ warrior is well-deserved. On July 14, HBO will broadcast the classic paradox of an irresistible force colliding with an immovable object.”

With the biggest fight of his career on the horizon, Gomez is taking no chances as he continues a grueling 10-week training regimen that began last week in LA and will wrap up in Big Bear Lake, California. He has several new additions to his team, which is led by his father and trainer, Alfonso Gomez Sr. An assistant for Gomez Sr., a conditioning coach, and three sparring partners chosen for their similarity to Gatti’s size and style have joined Team Gomez in preparation for the event.

Concludes Gomez, “Being a fan of Gatti, I feel bad that I’m going to have to retire him, but in the position that I am in and thinking of my family and my future, I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do. On July 14, Gatti is passing the torch to the next warrior.”

For more information, visit www.alfonsosgomez.com.