Andrew Walker: Many expected Amir Khan 18-0-(14) to blow away a shop worn Michael Gomez 35-9-(24) inside two rounds tonight in the NIA, Birmingham, England. Gomez went down in the first round but what followed was a display of true blood and guts from a true warrior..
Amir Khan out boxed and produced the classier work throughout the fight but Gomez kept marching forward and shocked the Khan camp by putting Amir down in the second round with a fierce left hook. But Gomez received a cut to his left eye in the second round as the Commonwealth champion fought back. Khan kept his foot on the gas in the third round but Gomez produced a superb body shot to really hurt Khan in the fourth round to regain some respect from the young British prospect.
By the fifth round Gomez was tiring but he was still in the fight and giving Khan more trouble then he or his team would have liked. Khan produced a flurry of punches which sent Gomez into the ropes and the referee took his cue and stepped in to stop the fight. No doubt Gomez was tiring and hurt and Khan was producing the sharper work but I still thought Gomez was worth another round maybe two and the chance of stopping Khan was not out of the realms of possibility?
There is no doubt that Amir Khan is a good boxer with some very impressive skills, speed and a fighting heart to match them. But you can’t help feeling that a world level fighter will stop Khan in his tracks inside seven rounds if Khan steps up too soon to fight for a version of a lightweight world title.
Despite being very unpopular and having a reputation for padding out his fighters careers, Frank Warren is correct to try to put the brakes on Khan’s ambition to fight for a world title this year. Maybe a European title challenge to round out the year but Khan should forget taking on any of the current lightweight belt title holders for the next twelve months.
Gomez himself said after the fight that Khan had very impressive hand speed and he would take nothing from him and his warrior heart, but he had way too many vulnerabilities to fight at world level for a title just now. He also said that remember Khan beat an old Michael Gomez tonight and he was also too big for me. I’m a super featherweight really. Khan would do well to head that advice.