21.06.08 – by James Slater: Tonight, at The National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, Commonwealth lightweight champion and super-prospect Amir Khan was made to work harder than ever before as a pro boxer. The incredibly tough and battle-hardened Michael Gomez, who turned 31-years-of-age today, gave it one truly supreme effort in what will likely be his final fight. The end came in the 5th, as referee John Keane dived in to save a battered Gomez from further punishment. But what a tough fight Khan was given beforehand!
Gomez came out fast in the 1st round, bobbing and weaving as he advanced. Khan, looking absolutely razor sharp, soon had his man down and it looked like the fight would be the mismatch many had predicted. A fast combination, the last shot being a right hand to the head, sent the challenger down and it looked bad for Gomez. Khan was all over his man as the fight continued, but Gomez somehow held on and made it to the bell. The 31-year-old really took some hellish shots in doing so, though. A huge round for Khan.
The shock of the evening came in round 2. Caught with a left hook, Gomez’s pet punch, Khan went down. He was badly shaken and the crowd was totally stunned. Gomez really went for it in a bid to cause the upset, but Khan blazed back himself. A mini-classic was being staged! Adding to the drama was the fact that Gomez now had a cut left eye. Khan got on his toes and boxed and moved, while Gomez was bulling his way on the inside in an effort to make it his type of fight. The challenger’s round, and he was right back in the fight.
In the 3rd, the pattern remained the same, with Gomez pursuing and Khan letting both hands go with great speed. Michael Gomez had clearly decided he was going to give nothing but his all in this one. A left uppercut in particular jolted his head back and Gomez was taking a whole load of flush shots – yet still he kept coming. Gomez was also trying his best to catch his man with his dangerous left hook.
The 4th saw Gomez hurt Khan again. A cracking left hand to the body slammed the 21-year-old and he was almost bent double. This was already Khan’s most severe test yet in his young pro career. Coming back in fine style, Khan threw some blistering combinations after having regained his breath. Gomez went nowhere, however, and some hard questions were being asked of Amir Khan.
The end came in the 5th. With Gomez having already proven lots of people (this writer included) wrong, he was suddenly sent down for the second time in the fight. Scoring with a left to the body that was even more wicked than the one he’d been nailed with in the previous round, Khan sent Gomez to the floor. Badly winded, the gutsy challenger got back up, but he had nothing much left. Khan was teeing off on him now, and referee Keane was looking at him closely. Finally, with a big right hand to the head sending him reeling into the ropes and a combination being peeled off by Khan when he was there, Gomez’s fine effort was over as the ref dived in. Gomez was angry, but the stoppage was a fair one.
Amir Khan, in improving to 18-0(14) had made it through his biggest gut check yet, but the critics will once again be all over him with regards to how solid his chin is. Gomez, who fell to 35-9(24) and today celebrated his 31st birthday, earned his pay check with a superb effort. If we have seen the last of him in the ring, Gomez went out in a quite glorious, albeit losing, fashion.