Arthur open to rematch with conqueror Gomez

Published on Tuesday 7 October 2008 10:01

FORMER WBO superfeatherweight champion, Alex Arthur, spent part of the time during his recent family holiday in Turkey thinking long and hard about his future ring career options.

He has now decided that a second fight with the only British boxer to stop him inside the distance – Mancunian Michael Gomez – could be back on the cards again, thanks to Arthur's recent world title conqueror, Dagenham's Nicky Cook, being reluctant to grant the Capital ring ace a rematch.

Arthur said: "While in Turkey with my family I came to the conclusion, reluctantly, that Nicky Cook isn't likely to grant me a rematch after taking away my title in September, even though I'm still adamant that ring rust – not fighting for nine months – was as much to blame for Cook beating me as anything that he did in the ring was.

"Until now I've scorned the idea of a rematch with Michael Gomez because he would never make superfeatherweight again but now, as I'm unlikely to get a Cook rematch, I'd definitely be interested in fighting Gomez at lightweight. I've come to accept that sooner or later I'll have to move up to that weight."

He added: "Besides, I think that even in Edinburgh boxing fans would turn out to see an Arthur versus Gomez rematch."

However, ex-champion Arthur's viewpoint also now puts pressure on ex-WBU and British superfeatherweight champion Gomez, to beat Coventry journeyman, Baz Carey this Friday. The pair are set to meet at Motherwell's Dalziel Park Social club, with Gomez looking to repeat the points win that he previously scored over Carey in March 2008.

Again, in his last fight at Colne, Lancashire, on September 28, Gomez impressively stopped Swansea's Chris Brophy inside two rounds after decking the Welshman twice in both rounds.

Speaking after that clash he said: "By December I aim to be challenging for the British lightweight title."

However, Gomez – who has never hidden his desire to fight Arthur again – could just as easily box Arthur instead, given the latter's new-found enthusiasm for the idea in default of a rematch with Nicky Cook for the latter's WBO crown.