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Michael Gomez

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{{Infobox_Boxer |image=Allan Stevenson - Gomez.jpg|500px]] |name=Michael Gomez |realname=Michael Armstrong |nickname=the Predator
the Irish Mexican |weight=super featherweight |nationality= Republic of Ireland Irish/United Kingdom[[Britain|British] |birth_date= (1977-06-21) 21 June 1977 (age 47) |birth_place=County Longford, Republic of Ireland |home=Manchester, England, UK |style=Orthodox |total=43 |wins=35 |KO=24 |losses=8 |draws=0 |no contests=0 |}}

Michael Gomez (born Michael Armstrong, 21 June 1977), also known as "the Irish Mexican" or "the Predator", is a professional boxer. He was born to an Irish Traveller family in Longford, County Longford, Ireland and spent his early years in Dublin. He moved to Manchester, England with his family at age nine, and continues to live in that city.

Gomez fights in the lightweight division, having previously fought in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions.[1] During his career Gomez has amassed a number of title belts including the IBF Inter-Continental featherweight titles; the British, WBO and WBA Inter-Continental and WBU super featherweight title; and was the first Irish boxer to win the Lonsdale Belt outright.[1][2]

Gomez, who has been compared to Johnny Tapia, has lived a turbulent life and has often been involved in controversial and explosive fights, with 16 of his 17 fights between February 2001 and March 2008 ending in knockouts.[1][3]His career has been defined by a number of key fights and his struggle to maintain discipline in the gym to make it as a world class fighter. In Gomez's initial fights he suffered a number of losses to journeyman opposition but then went on a run of victories which stretched for almost four years, picking up high profile victories against Gary Thornhill, Dean Pithie and Ian McLeod.[1]

The first cracks in Gomez's career came after a 2001 loss to Laszlo Bognar when concerns arose about his drinking and failure to adhere to his diet regime.[4]

Gomez' highest-profile fight came in 2003 against Edinburgh-based fighter, "Amazing" Alex Arthur, for the British and WBA International super featherweight titles. Arthur was seen as a rising star in British boxing, being groomed to be a future world champion, and was a strong favourite to defeat Gomez. Gomez won the bad-tempered contest by delivering a knock-out blow to Arthur in the fifth round. Retired Scottish boxer Ken Buchanan said it was one of the best fights he had ever seen.[3]

In 2006, Gomez suffered a controversial loss to Peter McDonagh in which retired in the middle of a round of boxing. In what has been compared to Sugar Ray Leonard's and Roberto Duran's "No Más Fight", Gomez dropped his guard and walked out of the ring, later saying he had retired from boxing.[5]

Gomez is due to fight in what is seen as his last a last chance saloon opportunity to resurrect his career against rising star and Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan on 21 June 2008.[6][7]

Background

Family and youth

Gomez was born into an Irish gypsy family in Longford, Ireland. From birth, his upbringing was both turbulent and uncertain. His mother went into labour while driving, so his partially sighted father took over the wheel to drive her to hospital but crashed the car into a lamp post; Michael was delivered in the back seat of the car.[8][9][10]

The Armstrong family—Gomez, his parents and his nine siblings—moved initially to Ballymun, Dublin, and then to Manchester, England when Gomez was aged nine.[9] Following the family's move to England, Gomez's father's eyesight failed further due to retinitis pigmentosa. After his younger sister, Louise, died from sudden infant death syndrome, his mother left the family to live with another woman.[10][7]

Padwork with Bobby Rimmer.

Gomez subsequently spent much of his youth in various children's homes, and was a serial truant from school. His mother had taught him to shoplift as a child and he was involved in petty crime throughout his youth in Manchester.[9][10][7]

Aged nine, Gomez began training at Brian Hughes' Collyhurst and Moston Boys' Club. He also played football for a local north Manchester team until the club received so many fines for Gomez's fighting on the pitch that they were unable to pay them. At this point, Gomez stopped playing football to concentrate on boxing.[9][10][11]

Gomez lives with his childhood sweetheart Alison and their three children in Manchester.[10][12][13]

Trouble outside of the ring

In 1996, Gomez was charged with murder after a gang fight outside a nightclub in Manchester. Gomez had hit one of the men, Sam Powell, who as a result of the blow banged his head on the pavement and died. The murder charge was later reduced to a charge of manslaughter and Gomez was cleared of the charges after it was ruled that he had acted in self-defence.[14][15]

During another street fight Gomez was stabbed and temporarily died when his heart stopped beating for 48 seconds while on the operating table.[4][16][7][14]

Ring persona

Gomez has a brawling, all-out action style, which earned him the nickname of "the Irish Mexican". His ring entrance music is that of a Mexican Mariachi band, a reference to his Mexican-sounding chosen name, and many of his supporters wear sombreros to his fights and wave Irish flags. Gomez also wears long Mexican-style boxing shorts in the colours of the flag of Ireland and often has the shape of a shamrock shaven into the hair on the back of his head.[8][6][10][5][17][18]

In 2007, a film depicting the life of Michael Gomez, entitled The Michael Gomez Story, began production. Andrew "Barney" McHugh wrote the script based on Gomez's frenzied life and Gomez commented that "Everyone dreams about having a film made about their life and I'm no different." The part of Gomez is played by Jody Latham, who also plays Lip Gallagher on Shameless and the part of Gomez's best friend and fellow boxer Michael Jennings is played by Emmerdale's Kelvin Fletcher.[8][19]

Debut as a professional

Gomez boxed as an amateur before turning professional in June 1995. Gomez, whose real name is Michael Armstrong, was forced to change his name by the British Boxing Board of Control when signing as a professional boxer because there was another boxer in the same weight division with the same name. He choose the name Gomez in honour of Puerto Rican boxer Wilfredo Gómez.[8][9]

In his debut fight at the G-Mex Leisure Centre, Manchester, England, Gomez beat previously undefeated Danny Ruegg on the undercard of a bill that included Robin Reid and Michael Brodie. Following this initial win, Gomez's early career was littered with losses to journeymen fighters such as Greg Upton and Chris Williams, and he suffered a reversal to Danny Ruegg.[1][20][21]

Title fights

Training on bodywork with Bobby Rimmer.

After an initially shaky beginning in the professional ranks, Gomez then went on a run of victories from September 1997 to February 1999. During this period Gomez won seven straight fights before and then fought for his first title belt, the vacant British Central Area featherweight title against Chris Jickells on 27 February 1999 in Oldham. Gomez handled Jickells with ease, winning the title with a fifth round knockout. Gomez followed his first title win by adding another title, the IBF Intercontinental featherweight title, this time with a second round knockout over Nigel Leake.[20][21]

Move to super featherweight

Soon after, Gomez relinquished his belts in a bid to move up to the super featherweight division. His first fight as a super featherweight was for the vacant British super featherweight title, against the experienced and much heralded Liverpudlian campaigner Gary Thornhill at the York Hall, Bethnal Green in the Autumn of 1999.[21] Gomez defeated Thornhill with a second round knockout.[1]

His following fight in November 1999 was against Mexican Jose Manjarrez for the WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight title. Gomez won this fight also, this time on a points victory over twelve rounds in his last fight of 1999. In 1999 Gomez won four title belts and was undefeated and was name "Young Boxer of the Year".[2][20][22]

Bognar fights

Gomez continued the success he enjoyed in 1999 with another streak of six wins in 2000. His first fight in 2001 was on 10 February against Hungarian boxer Laszlo Bognar for the WBO Intercontinental Super Featherweight title, in Widnes, Cheshire. Gomez had Bognar on the canvas in the fifth round after landing a crushing left hook. Although Bognar was shaken Gomez was unable to make his power count. Bognar recovered from his knockdown and kept Gomez at bay with his southpaw jab. In the ninth round Gomez was stopped after referee Dave Paris stepped in following a double left from Bognar, which had Gomez stricken against the ropes. Gomez felt the fight had been stopped prematurely and that he should have been allowed to continue.[21][23][24]

Gomez later stated that he was suffering from flu and should not have taken the fight. John Munroe, who was sitting ringside, was called over by Ian Darke, at Gomez's request to verify his theory. This turned in to a war of words, with the promoter Frank Warren and John Munroe regarding Brian Hughes, with Frank Warren promising Gomez the rematch, and Gomez stating that he was leaving Brian Hughes' gym to team up with Billy Graham. However, others pointed to his well publicised troubles out of the ring. There had been reports in the press that Gomez was not training regularly, that he had not stuck to his diet and had been out drinking and clubbing. Reports also circulated that Gomez was having trouble in his private life and that he had been stabbed in a street fight.[4][21]Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).


Gomez wanted to rematch against Bognar, and five months later in July 2001, the pair had a rematch in Manchester in what turned out to be a short and explosive encounter. The fight started badly for Gomez when he suffered a flash knockdown in the first round and was down again in the second. Gomez came back to put Bognar down near the end of the second round. Gomez came out firing at the start of the third round and finished the fight with a fourth and final knockdown to avenge his earlier defeat.[24]

Defeat to Kevin Lear

Gomez followed up his victory over Bognar with another British title win over Craig Docherty with a second round KO against the Scottish fighter on a high profile bill that included David Barnes, future opponent Alex Arthur, Anthony Farnell, Junior Witter, Eamonn Magee, Freddie Pendleton and Ricky Hatton at the MEN Arena on 27 October 2001.[1]

His next opponent was unbeaten West Ham based fighter Kevin Lear on 1 June 2002 again at the MEN on the undercard of the Ricky Hatton vs. Eamonn Magee fight.[1]

From the outset of the fight Lear, a former ABA champion, kept a one-dimensional Gomez at bay with his sharp jab. Lear inflicted damage to the nose of Gomez, whose nose began to bleed heavily from the sixth round. By the eighth round Gomez was slowing, suffering the effects of Lear's continuing barrage of combinations. At the end of the eight round Gomez's trainer, Brian Hughes retired Gomez, giving Lear a surprising victory.[4][25][26]

Move to the Phoenix Gym

The defeat to Lear, and the manner in which the fight ended, prompted Gomez's longtime mentor and trainer, Brian Hughes, to ask Gomez to give up boxing. This event signalled the end of the relationship between Gomez and Hughes and soon after Gomez crossed Manchester to join Ricky Hatton and former Collyhurst gym stablemate Anthony Farnell at the rival Phoenix Gym run by Billy Graham.[4][27][28]

The Alex Arthur fight

Gomez sparring with headgear.

In what was becoming a predictable pattern in Gomez's career he followed the defeat to Lear with a string of three wins, all by knockout. Gomez then fought in what was the highest profile fight of his career against Edinburgh-based fighter, "Amazing" Alex Arthur, for the British and WBA International super featherweight titles. The fight took place in a sold-out Meadowbank Stadium in October 2003, in what was the first professional boxing card in the city for almost 20 years.[3][7][29]

A war of words was waged between the two fighters prior to the fight. Arthur had stirred up the animosity between the pair, stating in an interview that Gomez "gets involved in wars with journeymen", that "looking deep into Gomez’s eyes at the press conference, I’m not sure even he believes he can win. He’ll be so fired up I expect it’ll take me eight or nine rounds but, if his resistance has gone as people are saying, it could be a lot sooner" and "I see about 20 ways to beat him. I'm just looking forward to shutting him up.".[3][29][30][31]

Arthur, who was looking to retain the Lonsdale belt, was seen as a rising star in British boxing and was being groomed to be a future world champion. Arthur was a strong favourite to defeat Gomez and this fight was seen as a stepping stone against Gomez, who was perceived as having been through too many battles and abused his body too much.[21][32][33]

Gomez proved his critics wrong when on the night of the fight he arrived in prime condition and with aggression, determination and desire.[21][32]

The first two rounds started at a furious pace, with Arthur keeping Gomez at bay with stiff jabs and Gomez working inside with crashing hooks and body punches. The match was turning into a clash of opposing styles, Arthur displaying control and boxing technique and Gomez storming forward with wild ferocity.[3][32][31]

From the third round the fight began to turn Gomez's way. Gomez cut Arthur in the third and silenced the home crowd, who were not used to seeing Arthur being punished in this manner. Gomez again dominated the fourth round and was in full control of the fight - he exposed Arthur's non-existent defence and at one stage landed 28 punches without reply.[3][32][31]

Gomez won the bad-tempered contest by delivering an explosive knock-out to Arthur in the fifth round. Arthur was dropped heavily three times in front of his adoring home fans before referee, John Coyle, stopped the fight as Arthur was knocked to the canvas for the third time.[3][21][31]

The fight was hailed as one of the best best fights in Britain for a decade. Boxing promoter Frank Warren called the fight "the greatest contest seen on these shores since Nigel Benn beat Gerald McClellan in 1995".[34][35]

Freddie Roach, Arthurs' trainer, was criticised when he did not travel to the fight and remained in America to coach Manny Pacquiao, for his fight with Marco Antonio Barrera, in San Antonio.[36][37][34]

WBU world title and Arthur rematch

The relationship between Arthurs and Gomez would continue to fester, when Gomez attended Arthurs next fight, which was against Ugandan Michael Kizza in Meadowbank, Scotland.[38] On 3 March 2004, Gomez fought Ghanan Ben Odamattey for the WBU super featherweight title at the MEN Arena in Manchester. Gomez won the title, stopping Odamattey in the third round.[1][39]

Gomez commented that he had attended Arthur's fight but Arthur had not turned up to his, stating

"I gatecrashed Arthur's party by beating him for the British title in his own city of Edinburgh. Why didn't he come and watch my fight in Manchester on Saturday night? Sky Television want a return. Frank Warren, Arthur's manager, wants a re-match. And most of all so do I."

Arthur responded by saying "the fight (with Gomez) is definitely going to happen. Hopefully I'll get another warm-up fight in June and then take on Gomez in September."[29][30][38]

Gomez retained his WBU title in his next two fights over Justin Juuko and Leva Kirakosyan with knockout wins and then faced Argentinian boxer "El Vikingo" Javier Osvaldo Alvarez. The fight took place on 11 February 2005 and was Gomez's eighth fight at the MEN Arena. Joe Calzaghe pulled out of his arranged fight and it was left to Gomez to top the bill at the MEN.[6][40][41]

The pair clashed at the weigh in, Gomez stated "I'm raring to go and Alvarez is going to be knocked spark out", this venom was translated into the fight. From the outset of the fight Gomez tried draw Alvarez into a war. Gomez appeared to win the first two rounds behind stinging jabs, however, Alvarez seemed unruffled.[42] In the third round the fight began to turn in Alvarez' favour as Gomez' face began to mark up badly. The fourth round was all action, as usual Gomez began quickly, attacking Alvarez from behind his jab and working his way through the guard of Alarvez.[41]

Alvarez appeared content to catch Gomez as he came forward. Near the end of the round, he rocked Gomez with a stiff right hand shot, after which the Argentinean launched into a furious onslaught onto the "Irish Mexican". Gomez steadied in the fifth but was visibly tired. Gomez started the sixth brightly but two minutes into the round Gomez was caught flush by a clubbing right hand which floored him. Gomez beat the count and Alarvez then moved in to finish the fight. Mickey Vann duly stopped the fight after after 2 minutes 25 seconds of the round with Gomez pinned to the ropes and taking a lot of puishment from Alarvez.[43][44]

Peter McDonagh controversy

Gomez was then out of the ring for almost a year and was due to fight Willie Limond for the WBU lightweight title, but he turned down that opportunity for a chance to fight for an Irish title. Gomez then signed up to fight fellow English-based Irish traveller, Peter McDonagh, for the Irish lightweight title on the undercard of a Bernard Dunne fight on 28 January 2006 at the National Stadium, Dublin. After the fight was signed Gomez stated "I just can’t wait to get my hands on that Irish title because I’ve been desperate to fight in Ireland for years".[11][45][46]

Leading up to the fight McDonagh was making visits to see paranormalist Uri Geller as "mind coach" to help him prepare mentally for the fight, and Geller also travelled with him to Dublin for the fight. Gomez commented that

"I’m not sure Uri Geller will be of much use to him though because there won’t be any spoons in that ring for him to bend. The only thing I plan on bending is some of McDonagh’s ribs with my body punches".[47]

The first four rounds were relatively close, with Gomez leading according to pundits, but the fight ended in the fifth round in bizarre circumstances when for no apparent reason Gomez stopped fighting and failed to defend himself. He then received a number of unanswered punches from McDonagh before being floored. Gomez rose from the canvas immediately but appeared to ignore the referee and walk towards his corner while the referee continued with his count. Gomez then left the ring as the referee was waving the fight off. The RTÉ commentator Steve Collins commented that "I smell a rat, something's not right here".[5][46][48][49]

The Boxing Union of Ireland (BUI) initially suspended both fighters purses, and investigated reports of unusual betting patterns, with large sums of money being placed on McDonagh to win inside the distance and more specifically in the fifth round. Odds on McDonagh to win the fight in the fifth round had been cut from 125-1 to 18-1 by the afternoon of the bout.[11]

Following an investigation, the BUI released the purses to each of the fighters, stating

"Michael Gomez and Peter McDonagh confirmed that neither they, their families, nor any person in their camp, as far as they were aware, betted on the fight"

However they did expressed disappointment that the bookmaker, Boylesports, who had suspended wagering on the bout due to the unusual betting patterns, had chosen not to reply to the investigators' queries.[11][50]

Gomez later explained the loss by saying that "it was all very simple, I just came to a decision in there that I need to retire from boxing full stop".[51] Gomez further indicated that he planned to pursue a career in bodybuilding. McDonagh, meanwhile, claimed that he had won because Uri Geller had helped him mentally prepare for the fight.[11][52]

"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide"

Gomez working the pads.

After the McDonagh fight Gomez had retired from boxing. However, fifteen months later, in May 2007, he returned to fight Daniel Thorpe at the Altrincham Lesuire Centre, Manchester.[1][12][53]

Gomez had left the Phoenix Gym and was now training at Bobby Rimmers' Boxing Academy in Stalybridge, Manchester, and had moved back down to fight in the super featherweight division. The fight was billed as "The Last Stand", and the venue was sold out with fellow fighters Ricky Hatton, Matthew Hatton, Robin Reid and Jamie Moore all being in attendance to witness the return of Gomez. Gomez won the fight with a stoppage in the third round. The following month Gomez also beat Youssef Al Hamidi, again with a third round stoppage.[1][5][54]

Following two comeback fights against journeyman opposition Gomez was linked with fights against many of Britain and Ireland's top level super featherweight's and lightweights including Kevin Mitchell, Amir Khan, Carl Johanneson and also with a rematch against Peter McDonagh.[12][53]

He then signed up to face Leeds' Carl Johanneson on 19 October 2007 at the Doncaster Dome, Doncaster, England for the British super featherweight title.[1]

Johanneson had just come off his second defeat to Armenian Leva Kirakosyan, whom Gomez had knocked out in October 2004.[1][55][56]

Before the fight Gomez was confident, stating

You can't outbox me. I'll jab your head off. If he comes to have a fight with me it is going to be early Christmas for everyone because I don't know who's going to go but someone's going to go and it's not going to be me."[57]

At the pre-fight press conference in Doncaster both fighters squared up to each other and promised to knock each other out. In the highly charged face off both fighters had to be kept apart from each other by their promoter and trainers.[58]

As many expected, the highly anticipated domestic clash became a war and from round one was a savage brawl. Gomez won the opening rounds and threatened to steamroller Johanneson from the opening seconds. The Leeds fighter then gained the upper hand as the fight went on, flooring Gomez in the sixth round only for the Irish Mexican to rise from the canvas. Soon after referee Mickey Vann stopped the fight.[59][60][61][62]

Gomez demanded a rematch and said that Vann had stopped the fight early,[63] stating;

Mickey Vann, the referee, stopped the fight prematurely after I was down twice, which was wrong. I was on my feet and perfectly all right. When the stoppage came, I wasn't wobbling or staggering, and I only dropped my hands in the fight to show Johanneson that he couldn't hurt me. But the referee simply got the wrong message. It was bad refereeing. I told him straight away I was fine, but he insisted on showing me to my corner.[60]

McDonagh rematch and Khan fight

Ever since his controversial loss to Peter McDonagh, Gomez had been haunted by that night in Dublin. Gomez sought a rematch with McDonagh and offered to fight McDonagh for no fee, only his training costs. However, a rematch was set for 23 May 2008 on the night before the Ricky Hatton v Juan Lazcano fight in Manchester. The fight for the Irish lightweight title was to be billed as the "Redemption" but was scrapped when Gomez signed a contract to fight Amir Khan.[64][65][66]

Amir Khan fight

Before the McDonagh fight could happen, Gomez was given the opportunity to fight Amir Khan for the Commonwealth lightweight title at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham.[1][7][67]

Khan expects that "there is no way he will be as fit as me, so I expect a spectacular stoppage".[8][67]

References

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  44. ^ Roberts, Chris (2008-05-31). "All systems GO MEZ for Arthur rematch". Doghouse Boxing. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  45. ^ ""Bernard Dunne Back In Action On Jan 28 In Dublin!"". Eastside Boxing. Retrieved 13 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  46. ^ a b Michael Foley. ""Gomez controversy a body blow to boxing"". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 13 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  47. ^ ""Geller preparing McDonagh for Gomez"". Doghouse Boxing. Retrieved 13 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  48. ^ ""Gomez trainer slams fixing slur"". BBC. Retrieved 13 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  49. ^ Ger Golroy. ""The breaking of a boxer"". Village.ie. Retrieved 13 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  50. ^ ""Union awards purses to McDonagh and Gomez "". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 13 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  51. ^ Tomas Rohan. ""Gomez - I'm happy with my decision"". irish-boxing.com. Retrieved 13 July. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  52. ^ ""Gomez trainer slams fixing slur"". BBC. Retrieved 19 October. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  53. ^ a b Terry Dooley. ""Michael Gomez is feeling the fear but coming back anyway "". Britishboxing.net. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  54. ^ Jamie Ellison. ""MICHAEL GOMEZ BACK TO WINNING WAYS!!!"". Fightnews. Retrieved 13 December. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  55. ^ Terry Dooley. ""Carl Johanneson versus Michael Gomez set for October"". Britishboxing.net. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  56. ^ Jim Watt. ""Nowhere to hide"". SKY Sports. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  57. ^ Terry Dooley. ""Michael Gomez's considered reflections"". Britishboxing.net. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  58. ^ ""Johanneson And Michael Gomez Clash Head To Head"". Eastside Boxing. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  59. ^ ""Johanneson Stops Gomez In A Thriller!"". Eastside Boxing. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  60. ^ a b Thomas Myler. ""Gomez: 'I deserve another title shot' "". Irish Independent. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  61. ^ ""Ruthless Johanneson retains title"". BBC Sport. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  62. ^ ""Johanneson retains British super-featherweight title"". Daily Mail. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  63. ^ ""Gomez demands re-match"". Manchester Evening News. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  64. ^ ""Gomez v Peter McDonough II"". VIP Boxing. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  65. ^ Jane Warburton. ""Michael Gomez gets rematch with Peter McDonagh"". Saddo Boxing. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  66. ^ ""Gomez goes gunning for Amir"". Manchester Evening News. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  67. ^ a b Gareth A Davies. ""Michael Gomez vows to beat Amir Khan"". Daily Telegraph. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdaymonth= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
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