MICHAEL GOMEZ VS. ALEX ARTHUR
WHEN: October 25, 2003
WHERE: Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland
AT STAKE: Gomez (28-5); Arthur (16-0)
RESULT: Gomez by TKO in Round 5
WHAT HAPPENED: Once in a while a gem of a fight sneaks up on you from out of nowhere.
This low-profile bout for the British super featherweight title perfectly fit the criteria. Before long, it gained a ton of steam among hardcore fight fans for its action and intensity.
The unbeaten Arthur squared off in his native Scotland in what was expected to be a stepping stone fight against the former champion Gomez, the hard-living brawler who was perceived to be three years past his prime.
A rising star being groomed to be a future world champion, Arthur filled the promotion of the fight with plenty of disparaging quotes against Gomez. That only motivated The Irish Mexican to enter the fight in the best shape of his career.
The fight's soundtrack was a rabid, sold out crowd that was so loud and hungry for action that the fighters were unable to hear the bell to end Round 1. By Round 4, the background noise was simply deafening.
ESPN.com's Dan Rafael once wrote about the noise: "They were fighting on Arthur's turf and the crowd noise was so intense, it sounded like it was bleeding through my TV speakers."
Gomez rocked Arthur with a left hook only 20 seconds into the fight that seemed to set the tone for the entire night. After Arthur bounced back with a strong technical effort in Round 2, the action would intensify only minutes later.
Midway through Round 3, Gomez was cut on his right eye. Almost instantaneously, he fired back a barrage of left hooks that seriously shook up Arthur and riled up the crowd.
Sky Sports commentator Ian Darke would exclaim, "Gomez is coming on strong! And Arthur is going through a crisis."
With a bloodied right eye after eating a number of left hooks, Arthur staggered through the final minute of the round and was lucky the fight wasn't stopped. Gomez added a huge right hook well after the bell, as neither fighter could hear themselves think amid the chaos of the crowd.
But a courageous Arthur had one last rally left in him, turning Round 4 into an old-fashioned slugfest. The two took turns exchanging heavy punches against the ropes throughout, although Arthur continued to look much worse for the wear.
"It is absolutely titanic, gargantuan action," Darke described the action, "It's spellbinding. This is pure, undiluted boxing drama!"
By Round 5, Arthur could stand in no longer. After being dropped twice, he was allowed to continue despite being badly hurt. Gomez swooped right in and floored him again with a combo of hooks landing right before the referee could leap in to attempt to stop the fight.