By Dan Ambrose: Alfonso Gomez (23-4-2, 12 KO’s) plans on making the most of his big opportunity against WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (37-0-1, 27 KO’s) on September 17th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Gomez, 30, is a huge underdog in this fight but he thinks his determination will help him defeat the harder hitting and younger Alvarez. Gomez wants to make his future and for that to happen he’s got to get past Alvarez. This isn’t going to be easy because Alvarez looks like the much more complete fighter in every way.
In the Gomez-Alvarez conference call, Gomez said “This fight is going to secure my future. I know that this fight is everything to me; it’s what’s going to put food on my table. I’ve been fighting for 20 years, I’m 30-years old now and this is one of my last opportunities here, and I understand that so I’m going in there like I’m possessed.”
Can Gomez’s determination alone overcome the superior talent and youth of Alvarez? I’m not so certain. Gomez is going to have to be able to stay on his feet if he wants to win this fight.
When he stepped it up against Miguel Cotto in 2008, Gomez hit the deck over and over again from Cotto’s shots. Alvarez hits at least as hard as the smaller Cotto if not harder. If Gomez couldn’t take Cotto’s shots three years ago then how is he expected to take on someone who hits with the same power? There is only so much punishment that a fighter can take before the referee pulls the plug on the fight. Gomez will be saved from himself in that case if he tries to pull a Rocky-like move and take a massive amount of punishment to get a win. I can’t see the fight being allowed to continue with Gomez getting raked with shots from Alvarez.
Comments are closed.