Gomez thanks trainer for shock win

New British super-featherweight champion Michael Gomez today thanked trainer Billy Graham for turning his career around.

The all-action Manchester fighter sensationally snatched the belt back with a fifth-round stoppage of home hero Alex Arthur at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium last night.

It was an amazing turn around given that his career looked over after suffering a soul-destroying defeat to Kevin Lear for the WBU super-featherweight crown in June as rumours circulated that he was enjoying a party lifestyle and split with trainer Bryan Hughes.

But Graham gave him a last throw of the dice and having got himself back into world title contention Gomez has vowed to make it a long throw and turn his back on his old ways.

“I owe Billy a lot for taking me on,” he admitted. “Nobody wanted to know me after the Kevin Lear fight.

“Billy gave me the chance and he said to me, ‘Michael I’m going to give you a big chance here and it will be the last chance’.

“He wasn’t going to stand for any messing about. All of the partying was out and I’ve took the chance. It’s the last throw of the dice and I’m going to make it a long throw.”

Graham’s contribution to Gomez’s shock success was also recognised by promoter Frank Warren, who has promised him another world title shot early next year.

“I’ve got to say something about Billy Graham,” he said. “What great work he and his team have done with Michael.

“They have done a tremendous job and got him to turn his career around. Billy’s one of the best trainers out there, no doubt about that, and he showed that last night.”

Gomez has asked Warren for a rematch with Lear and the promoter claims that if he can stay focussed and hungry then he will finally fulfil all his expectations.

“We are loyal to our fighters,” he explained. “He has been loyal to me and been with me since 1995 which is a long time.

“He’s going to get rewards and if he continues to live the life he is doing then I’m sure he will fulfil all the things we expected of him a long time ago.”

The man behind his career revival is also confident that Gomez’s bad days are over and that he is now set for world domination.

Graham added: “Michael will be a better fighter this time next year.”

But the self-titled “real Michael Gomez” is now ready to take on any fighter as he does not expect any opponent to hurt him as much as Arthur did last night.

He believes that falling into his trap of an all-out war proved to be the 25-year-old’s downfall, but confessed that no fighter had ever hurt him more than the fallen champion.

“Alex did hurt me,” admitted Gomez. “He caught me with a good left hook in the third round.

“He’s got a really good jab and it was that jab which cut me in the second round. He hit me with good left hook to the head.

“I kept shaking it off and kept coming through. I don’t think I let him know that he hurt me, but he caught me with a cracking body shot.

“That hurt and I sat down on the ropes so he couldn’t get to the body and I could pinch a breather and I let Alex work. It left Alex open which I could capitalise on.

“I caught him early and I don’t think he really recovered. He caught me with a body shot and got overexcited through lack of experience and I nailed him.

“As it turned out I caught him early on and dragged him into a fight. All his discipline went out of the window.

“But I’ll give it to Alex. He is up there with the Mexicans and it’s the first time I have been hurt in the ring to that extent. He’s earned himself a lot of respect.”