by James Slater – German-based Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez, the talented southpaw who held the WBC cruiserweight title for a number of years, has been talking a great fight ahead of this coming Saturday’s rumble with WBC heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko. Convinced he will both give “Dr. Iron Fist” the toughest fight of his life AND beat him, the 35-year-old has bristled with confidence.
There was nothing different in the way the challenger acted at today’s press conference held in the country that will stage the intriguing fight – as Gomez told all in attendance that he would “beat his [Vitali’s] face in,” and that “I am the better boxer.” The press conference was a joint affair, USA Today reports, and the reigning heavyweight champ also spoke to those members of the media who had gathered.
Klitschko, like his younger brother Wladimir, is not one who takes to being spoken to in such disrespectful tones at all well.. The 37-year-old told everyone what his mandatory challenger will get as a result of talking too much. Vitali promised Gomez that he too will get the hardest fight of his life!
“I am ready. I am confident,” Klitschko said. “I had no injuries in training, thank God, and I am one hundred percent ready. I heard a lot of statements from Gomez’s camp recently and all I can say is that they can dream on, they are all dreams.
“He says he has had the hardest training camp of his career and I can promise him the hardest fight of his life. I think he is a very good boxer, with technical skill, and he showed it all in the cruiserweight division. But heavyweight is something else. I will show him. It will be a lesson, but it won’t last long.”
Both men, it seems, are convinced they will win, and as such we may be in for a very good fight. Gomez may have gotten under the champion’s skin, but will this work to his advantage or backfire on him? Another valid question may be, has Klitschko got a short night’s work in mind, and has he trained accordingly? It’s possible. If so, and if Juan Carlos can make it through the early rounds when Klitschko is most dangerous due to being fresh, he just might be able to box his man and pull out enough points for a decision victory – a KO win for Gomez looks a real long shot.
But let’s not forget, Klitschko has only seen eight, one-sided rounds of action, in the last four years. Gomez may not have been overactive himself recently – with just one fight, a 12-rounder, in 2008 – but he might be the sharper man on the night. Gomez certainly believes he will be the faster man.
Klitschko has to be my pick to win, but Gomez, a slick and determined southpaw, cannot be written off.