Antonio Gomez ~ "El Leon de Cumana"

[Bill Paxtom]

Antonio Gomez 'El Leon de Cumana'

Originally,

Antonio was an 'apathetic and cold' type of boxer, emphasizing 'The Art of Fencing' {defense}.

Though Antonio had a 'great defense' he was not a fan favorite with the Latin Boxing fans during
his first 2-Years as a Professional.

[Bill Paxtom]

November 10, 1969

Nuevo Circo {New Circus} ~ Caracas, Venezuela

{#7} Antonio Gomez ~ 25-2-0 {10 KOs} ~ 5' 6" ~ 128 lbs. ~ Reach; 67" ~ {Age; 24 years, 2 months}
vs.
{#17} Antonio Cervantes ~ 47-7-3 {16 KO's} ~ 5' 9" ~ 130 lbs. ~ Reach; 72" {Age; 23 years, 11 months}
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World-Rated Venezuelan - Antonio Gomez takes on Colombian - Antonio Cervantes.

Both fighters are 'managed' by Venezuelan - Ramiro Machado.

Antonio 'Kid Pambele' Cervantes had moved from Colombia to Venezuela in 1968, to get better 'money' fights,
and to improve his skills against better competition.

Th word here is, that this will be a 'close fight'.

Though 'Kid Pambele' claims to be {Age; 23 years 11 months}, some of the Colombian Sportswriters stated
that Cervantes was really 3 years older.

And, Cervantes probably had an additional 25-Bouts on his ledger in the small-clubs of Colombia on his ledger.

Colombian Sportswriter - Jaime Santoves stated that > Antonio Cervantes 'true record' was closer to > 69-9-4 {23 KO's},
and he was an 'all box' and 'little-punch' thin-rail boxer.
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~ Gomez Edges Cervantes By Decision Over 10 ~

In a battle of jabs and defense, it was Antonio Gomez who edged out Colombian - Antonio Cervantes over 10 Rounds.

Gomez {128 lbs.} giving up 3" in Height, and 5" in Reach, withstood the constant left-jab of Cervantes {130 lbs.} during
the first-half of the bout, to get inside and pound the body of the 'reed-thin' Colombian over the last 3-Rounds to capature
a close Unanimos Decision.

Throughout the first 4-Rounds, Cervantes used his left-jab like a 'broom-stick handle' to poke Gomez in the face and
around the eyes.

Realizing that he could not 'out-jab' the Colombian, Gomez slowly closed the distance and worked the body of Cervantes
with short hooks to the ribs during Rounds 5, 6 and 7 while employing a 'keen defense'.

With the bout 'close on the scorecards',
Gomez fought faster than Cervantes over the last 3-Rounds, and used his shorter reach on the inside where he stayed
busy working the Colombian's ribs with constant '2-Punch' combinations during Rounds 8, 9 and 10.

Scorecards
* 96-94 > {6-4-0 in Rounds}
* 97-95 > {5-3-2 in Rounds}
* 97-95 > {5-3-2 in Rounds}

[Bill Paxtom]

~ January 1970 ~

'Ring Magazine' {Featherweight Rankings}

*** Johnny Famechon
#1 . Shozo Saijo
#2 . Vicente Saldivar
#3 . Fighting Harada
#4 . Cruz Marcano {Venezuela}
#5 . Antonio Gomez {Venezuela}
#6 . Kuniaki Shibata
#7 . Jimmy Revie
#8 . Jose Legra
#9 . Lionel Rose
#10. Dwight Hawkins

Many of the Boxing Sportswriters regarded hard-punching and undefeated 'Cruz Marcano' as the best Featherweight in Venezuela.
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ _________

In mid-January 1970 >

Manager - Ramiro Machado took '18' of his fighters from his boxing-stable in Caracas, Venezuela to 'embark' on a tour of
California, in an effort to get his fighters some recognition.
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January 23, 1970

Antonio Gomez signed to face hard-hitting Mexican 'Knockout Artist' ~ Gil Noriega on February 14, 1970.

The bout will be on the undercard of the Jose Napoles vs. Ernie Lopez 'World Welterweight Championship Bout'.

Manager - Ramiro Machado signed a deal with Los Angeles 'fight promoter' George Parnassus.

[Bill Paxtom]

Friday ~ February 14, 1970

'The Forum' ~ Inglewood, California

"Main Event" > World Welterweight Championship > Jose Napoles vs. Ernie Lopez

Attendance .......... { 17,091 }
Gate Receipts ..... { $228,417 }
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{#5} ~ Antonio Gomez 'El Leon de Cumana' {Caracas, Venezuela} ~ 26-2-0 {10 KO's} ~ 127 lbs.
vs.
{#20} ~ Gilberto 'Good Night' Noriega {Mexico City, Mexico} ~ 34-1-0 {30 KO's} ~ 128 lbs.
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Featherweight battle between two young contenders.

The 24 year-old Venezuelan {Antonio Gomez} has moved up into the #5 World-Ranking
slot, and appears headed for a Title Challenge against WBA Champion - Shozo Saijo.

The 22 year-old Mexican {Gilberto Noriega} is a pure 'knockout artist'. Gilberto goes by
the nickname of "Good Night", as whoever he hits, goes to sleep.

Gilberto is being billed as > Tthe 'new' Mexican Knockout Artist."

He's a 5' 6" stand-up fighter, who comes in straight. He's a good puncher, but has little
defense and cannot get out of the way of straight punches.

Gilberto won his first '27-Bouts', before getting stopped {L TKO 7} by Richard Sue here at
'The Forum' on November 4, 1968.

Gilberto went back to Oaxaca, Mexico to re-group. In 1969, Gilberto went undefeated at 7-0-0
with {6 KO's} and has gotten back in to the Top 20 of the Featherweight Division.

[Bill Paxtom]

Friday ~ February 14, 1970

'The Forum' ~ Inglewood, California

~ Venezuelan Gomez Scores 'The Knockout' Heard Throughout The Forum ~

"Antonio Gomez 'flattens' Gil Noriega with 1-Punch Knockout in 8th"

World-Rated Featherweight - Antonio Gomez ended this night's battle at 'The Forum'
by catching Mexican - Gil Noriega with a single-right hand to the jaw in Round 8.

In a battle which was billed as a 'finesse-boxer' versus a '1-Punch knockout-artist', it was the
finesse-boxer who came away with the 'single-punch' Knockout victory at {2:19} of Round 8.

24 year-old Venezuelan - Antonio Gomez and Mexican - Gil Noriega thrilled the fans at 'The Forum'
with a wild shootout.

The { 17,091 } in attendance were on their feet after every Round, applauding and cheering. Gomez
had the slight-edge in Points after 6-Rounds, as he was the more accurate of the 'two' Featherweights.

But the 'upright' and hard-punching Mexican stayed in the fight, as he was clearly the harder-hitter
during close-exchanges.

The turning-point in the bout came mid-way thru Round 7, as Gomez continued with a steady-attack
and was elusive with a tight-defense, and Noriega began to tire, as he could not keep up with the
steady-fast pace.

Then Gomez caught Noriega with a hard 'left-right' to the chin, and the Mexican went down on his
right-side. He was up at the '4-Count', and was ready to fight on.

But, Noriega was not able to keep the fast-punching Venezuelan off of him, and near the end of Round 7
he went down again after absorbing a '7-Punch' combination to the head. The Mexican pulled himself up at
the '4-Count' again, and made it back to his corner as the 'Bell' sounded.

In Round 8, Gomez slowly wore down Noriega with fast and sharp 'left-jabs' to the face, that had the Mexican
blinded with the incoming fast-hand speed.

Then suddenly, Gomez stepped in and delivered a 'thudding' right-hand to Noriega's jaw that everyone in
'The Forum' heard.

The Mexican then fell face-first into the canvas, and was counted out at {2:19} of Round 8.

Scorecards at the time of the Knockout
* 7-2 > {Antonio Gomez}
* 6-2 > {Antonio Gomez}
* 6-2 > {Antonio Gomez}

Fight Promoter ~ George Parnassus

"I will do everything possible to bring WBA Featherweight Champion - Shozo Saijo here to defend his
Crown against Antonio Gomez. He's one of the best '3' Featherweights in the World today."

"This Venezuelan is an exciting boxer, and he deserves a World Title opportunity."

[Bill Paxtom]

Tuesday ~ April 21, 1970

Plaza de Toros {Downtown 'Bull Ring'} ~ Tijuana ~ Baja California, Mexico

Attendance ...... { 6300 }

{#4} - Antonio Gomez ~ 27-2-0 {11 KO's} ~ 5' 6" ~ 127 lbs. ~ {Age; 24 years, 7 months}
vs.
{#10} - Guillermo 'Memo' Morales - 20-4-0 {18 KO's} ~ 5' 6" ~ 127 lbs. ~ {Age; 22 years, 6 months}
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Antonio Gomez is still fighting on a George Parnassus 'sponsored' fight card in Baja California.

The Los Angeles based Fight Promoter is hoping to get the Venezuelan a WBA Championship
bout by the end of the Summer of 1970.

But > Guillermo 'Memo' Morales is a dangerous punching fighter from Mexico City, and one who
is not to be taken lightly.

'Memo' is coming off a major 'Featherweight Upset', when he defeated #2 WBA-ranked Cruz Marcano
in his home-area of Caracas, Venezuela on February 20, 1970.

In that bout, 'Memo' blasted the highly-touted and 'unbeaten' Cruz Marcano all over the Ring,
and won an 'impressive' 10-Round upset Decision.

The 'loss', knocked Cruz Marcano out of a World Featherweight Championship bout.

Guillermo, who is managed and trained by Edwin Inca Vacero, has been promised a 'big money'
bout at 'The Forum', if he can score another 'upset' over a 'top-tier' Venezuelan Featherweight.
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~ Antonio Gomez 'Smashes' Morales In '4' In Tijuana ~

Venezuelan - Antonio Gomez over-whelmed Mexican - Guillermo 'Memo' Morales with a series of
combinations in Round 4, en-route to a TKO win at 1:53.

Gomez {127 lbs.} fighting with a 'spirited attack', used an assortment of left-jabs, 2-Punch combinations
and jolting right-hands to batter and smash an over-matched 'Memo' Morales {127 lbs.} in Round 3, to
set up his opponent for the following Round.

Morales, who came into the Ring with a 'reputation' as a vicious fighter, was left battered and beaten
in Round 4, after taking a one-sided pounding by the skillful Venezuelan.

Morales did not go down, but he was left 'dazed' in a Neutral-Corner when the Referee halted the
one-sided battering.

[Bill Paxtom]

May 8, 1970

~ WBA Featherweight Rankings ~ ..................... ~ 'Ring Magazine' ~

*** Shozo Saijo .................................................. ........ *** Johnny Famechon
#1 . Johnny Famechon > {WBC Champion} ................. #1 . Shozo Saijo
#2 . Vicente Saldivar .................................................. #2 . Antonio Gomez
#3 . Jose Legra .................................................. ........ #3 . Vicente Saldivar
#4 . Antonio Gomez ............................................... #4 . Kuniaki Shibata
#5 . Godfrey Stevens .................................................. #5 . Alfredo Marcano
#6 . Raul Cruz .................................................. .......... #6 . Jimmy Revie
#7 . Frankie Crawford ................................................. #7 . Fernando Sotelo
#8 . Miguel Herrera .................................................. .. #8 . Hiroshi Sojo
#9 . Eder Jofre .................................................. ......... #9 . Jose Legra
#10. Ernesto Marcel .................................................. . #10. Eder Jofre

Antonio Gomez was being labeled as 'The Uncrowned Featherweight Champion'