by James Slater – Former amateur star and long-reigning WBC cruiserweight champion Juan Carlos Gomez has not been heard of since his tough 9th-round TKO loss at the hands of the mighty Vitali Klitschko last year. The Cuban known as “The Black Panther” tried his best against the much bigger “Dr. Iron Fist” yet was worn down and ultimately stopped late in the fight that, in truth, was no great spectacle.
Since the March 21st 2009 loss, the 36-year-old southpaw has not been heard from. However, the word is the warrior who lives in Germany will be back in action this coming March, in his adopted homeland, against an as yet unannounced foe.. A number of fans will fail to be overly excited about this news, but the fact is, eve at age 36 and after losing to Klitschko, there are a number of potentially meaningful and winnable fights out there for Gomez.
Always a far better cruiserweight than he was a heavyweight (Gomez was WBC champ from 1998 to 2001 and made ten successful defences of the crown), the slick southpaw unfortunately outgrew the 200-pound weight division. Even so, as a heavyweight Gomez managed wins over good fighters like Sinan Samil Sam, Oliver McCall and Vladimir Virches. Could the now 44-2(35) contender earn himself a few more notable wins against the big men?
It’s tough to see Gomez becoming a legitimate champion again, yet at the same time it’s easy to se why he has not retired. Why should he? Two losses, one of them a fluke, the other to the best big man on the planet, do not signal the end. So, while a number of fans may be ready to write him off, Gomez deserves the chance to show what he has left.
There are a number of possible fights out there for the lefty that would attract fan attention. How about a third go with the ancient but still teak-tough McCall? Or how about a young buck like Chris Arreola testing himself against “The Panther?” As he’s based in Germany and promoted by Ahmet Oener, Gomez would probably be able to get himself a fight with some decent names over there at least.
If he’s not been overly affected by the beat-down he took at the powerful hands of Klitschko, and if he’s been in the gym, maybe the former champion can again make some noise. We will know more come March 27th, after the veteran has boxed his scheduled ten-rounder, and we will be able to judge his future prospects somewhat then. It’s probable Gomez won’t come back against anyone too tough, but after a couple of rust-removers, the Cuban could be back in amongst the recognisable names.