Training of Alfonso Gomez:

**King Kabuki** · 10-29-2007, 12:38 PM

One of the more successful Contender Alumni, coming off his win against Gatti, a pretty brutal KO of the aged ghost of Gatti. Alfonso went on to a gusty fight with slow but tough as nails Ben Tackie. Gomez despite not having any defining speed or power, has pretty solid technique and fluid combinations, as well as very good footwork and timing.

Training clip from The Contender:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5JZbTpHqHQ

Sparring Enrique Ornelas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8vAI_07R_s

Sparring Librado Andrade (who has a head made of pure granite), and keep in mind Alfonso is a Welterweight, Andrade is a Super Middleweight, 21lb difference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni6bvc-bwz0

Training for Gatti (this is for those of you who think Dancing for a workout is stupid):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg0Tbl5W1aw

Here he is starching Gatti:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4cqw_6XWeA

Oh and that guy that was talking all the shit in the Contender clip, here he is beating that guy, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5NosxAEErQ

If we're lucky, then the talked about fight between Gomez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. comes off next year. Both these kids are cut from the same mold, like to throw, don't take backwards steps unless absolutely forced to.

**mschatz** · 10-29-2007, 01:26 PM

I like Gomez more than any of the guys who came out of The Contender show. He seems like a real likable guy, hard-working, and he stays busy in the ring, despite lacking world-class speed or power. Good, solid technique, and a good work rate.

**King Kabuki** · 10-29-2007, 01:50 PM

Did you catch the fight with Tackie? It was everything anyone could love about Combat Sports. Gomez the pretty kid from Mexico, as you said hard working, crisp technique, and busy hands, against the bull-forward Tackie.

Ben's a story in himself, raised in Ghana, given Tribal Scars as a child by his Mother, and his Grandmother used to make he and his Brothers fight for the lion's share of the food. Better fighter, bigger portion. So Ben just calmly gave rounds to Gomez, but never stopped coming forward, and when Gomez tired out, Ben started doing some good work himself. Gomez held on though for a solid win.

**mschatz** · 10-29-2007, 01:52 PM

i didnt see the Gomez/Tackie fight, but ill bet I can find it on youtube. You have me a bit intrigued with Tackie's story, so ill be sure to check it out.

I did watch Duran vs barkely over the weekend. What a war...

They dont make people like those guys anymore, especially Duran.

**King Kabuki** · 10-29-2007, 01:56 PM

Every fight Barkley was in was a war. The Hearns fights, even when he lost the SMW belt to James Toney. The kid was a Soldier.

But yeah, Duran was bananas. He was 20 years in when he fought Iran. Still sneering, still laughing off punches, still good enough technique to not get killed, and still a monster right-hand. Barkley wasn't exactly chinny.

Tackie's a good story, but he's an average fighter. Just another double-tough import from Ghana, along the same lines as Jantuah and the Clottey Brothers. Tough, but having lost in every big fight (Tackie lost to Hatton, too).

Ghana's best product was The Professor, Azumah Nelson. That guy was a marvel, Ghana's answer to Duran sort of. He used to say "I knock dem out, den I show dem what dey do wrong."

JuanLeche · 10-29-2007, 01:57 PM

hey KK would you say Azumah Nelson is the best fight from an African country?

**mschatz** · 10-29-2007, 01:59 PM

Ouma's a good story

**King Kabuki** · 10-29-2007, 02:08 PM

Quote:

hey KK would you say Azumah Nelson is the best fight from an African country?

That's a tough question simply because of all of the Fighters from Africs who were of European descent, the Marcel Cerdans and the Vic Toweels. Azumah is undoubtedly the best Fighter of purely African heritage, though. When he was still a baby he gave Sanchez a Hell of a fight (partly due to Sal cruising through the whole fight, though), and went on to kick the crap out of more than his fair share of World Class Fighters.

The only person who can say they handled Azumah barring some circumstance (like the Malaria with first Fenech fight) was Pernell Whitaker, and when you can say Sweet Pea was the only guy to definitively beat you, you can say a lot.

Quote:

Ouma's a good story

His story is crazy indeed, but he's going to become a footnote to it as a Fighter if he don't stay in his proper weight class.

**mschatz** · 10-29-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Kabuki

That's a tough question simply because of all of the Fighters from Africs who were of European descent, the Marcel Cerdans and the Vic Toweels. Azumah is undoubtedly the best Fighter of purely African heritage, though. When he was still a baby he gave Sanchez a Hell of a fight (partly due to Sal cruising through the whole fight, though), and went on to kick the crap out of more than his fair share of World Class Fighters.

The only person who can say they handled Azumah barring some circumstance (like the Malaria with first Fenech fight) was Pernell Whitaker, and when you can say Sweet Pea was the only guy to definitively beat you, you can say a lot.

His story is crazy indeed, but he's going to become a footnote to it as a Fighter if he don't stay in his proper weight class.

Which is?

There was a rumor of him dropping to welter. If he can make the weight, I think he could be very dangerous at 147

**King Kabuki** · 10-29-2007, 02:17 PM

That would be it. Kassim's a volume guy with not much power, but the meaning of the word "cardio" and "punches in bunches" so much so that he troubled the Hell out of Jermain Taylor, 13lbs North of his best weight.

At 147 he could probably get guys out of there rather than swarming for 12 straight rounds to a decision.