Michael Gomez Jr will fight for English title on Lawrence Okolie undercard, live on Sky Sports | Boxing News
Michael Gomez Jr will challenge for the English super-featherweight title on the undercard of Lawrence Okolie’s WBO cruiserweight title defence on March 25 at the Manchester Arena.
Gomez Jr is the son of the hugely popular ‘Mancunian Mexican’ Michael Gomez.
He will challenge Levi Giles for the vacant English super-featherweight championship at the AO Arena in Manchester.
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WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie is set to return after nearly a year out of boxing, the heavy puncher from Hackney is set to defend his WBO cruiserweight title in Manchester live on Sky Sports
“He is a very good fighter. He’s just been waiting to get his opportunities, he’ll be at the Manchester Arena that his dad fought at so many times,” promoter Ben Shalom said. “It’s a war against Levi Giles.”
English title fights have a deserved reputation for producing some of the most exciting contests in boxing and that tradition looks set to continue when Gomez and Giles enter the ring to contest the vacant English super-featherweight championship.
Michael Gomez Sr was a firm favourite of fight fans in his home city of Manchester thanks to his all-action, no-nonsense fighting style.
His son Gomez Jr – the Central Area super-featherweight titleholder – is continuing the family business and will have the Manchester Arena crowd behind him for his English title tilt.
The Manchester venue played host to many a Gomez Sr bout and also hosted Gomez Jr’s professional debut in 2014, making it a fitting scene for his bout against the undefeated Grimsby man Giles, who is taking the first title shot of his career in this 10-round contest.
Lawrence Okolie stars in the main event, defending his world title against New Zealand’s David Light.
“A lot of people are overlooking David Light, he was in a war with Brandon Glanton last time,” Shalom said. “He’s 20-0, never lost, coming over here full of confidence.
“This was a fight that they wanted before he was mandatory. This is a fight that they think suits David’s style. I actually think it’s a big test for Lawrence, having been out of the ring for over a year. He’s going to have to be really careful.”
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Richard Riakporhe and Okolie discuss a potentially huge cruiserweight world-title clash, with the pair hopeful of the bout happening this year
Olympic bronze medallist Karriss Artingstall, from nearby Macclesfield, will also be on the show.
“Karriss wants to move very quickly,” Shalom said.
“She wants to be in contention for world titles early next year, probably towards the end of this year.”
Her opponent on this card is set to be confirmed in the coming days
Another Olympic bronze medallist, heavyweight Frazer Clarke will be in action too, boxing American Rydell Booker.
“Again, I think that’s a big test,” Shalom added. “It is a much bigger test than what Frazer’s had before.”
Clarke is another fighter who counts Manchester’s arena as his second home, with three of his five professional bouts to date having taken place there.
Booker has shared the ring with some of the biggest names in the sport. He lost a decision to Hall of Famer James Toney and has boxed the highly-accomplished Filip Hrgovic and Kubrat Pulev.
Hotly-tipped super-middleweight prospect Callum Simpson, the reigning Central Area champion, recently signed an exclusive promotional agreement with BOXXER. Yorkshireman Simpson trained alongside former world champion Josh Warrington when he entered the professional ranks and has stopped 80 per cent of his opponents thus far.
Also on the bill Aaron McKenna, Samuel Antwi and Harvey Lambert will feature in separate bouts and Rhys Edwards will box Brian Phillips.
