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Home » Michael Gomez Jr. discusses Manchester return on Okolie bill

Michael Gomez Jr. discusses Manchester return on Okolie bill

A family business returns to the storied Manchester Arena this week when Michael Gomez Jr, son of the Manchester boxing legend Michael Gomez, will step into the ring on Saturday night in a bid to become champion of England.

Gomez Jr (18-1, 5 KO’s) faces the undefeated Levi Giles (13-0, 3 KO’s) on Saturday March 25th for the vacant English Super-Featherweight Championship, with the whole event airing live on Sky Sports.

The headline bout features world cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie defending the WBO world cruiserweight title against undefeated Commonwealth Games silver medalist David Light.

In tribute to the return of the Gomez clan to the Manchester Arena, BOXXER has created a section of £25 tickets – the same price as tickets to see Gomez Sr at the arena back in 2002.

Here’s Michael Gomez Jr on this Saturday’s challenge:

Competing for the vacant English Super-Featherweight Championship

Becoming the English champion isn’t the main priority for me actually. The main priority is fighting in Manchester Arena live on Sky Sports. That’s something I’ve always dreamed of because I grew up watching my father do that, so that’s the biggest thing for me. Titles come second to that, for me.

‘Throwback’ ticket price of £25

The last time you could get tickets for a boxing event in Manchester Arena at that price was when my dad was boxing there in the early 2000s, so I think it’s great they’ve created a batch of tickets at that price as a throwback to that era because his son is on the card.

Boxing can be expensive so this makes it really accessible to young fans and fans who maybe otherwise couldn’t afford it, especially as we have this cost of living crisis going on right now. To be able to get a ticket at that price for a world-level international boxing event on Sky Sports is unheard of today. If you’re a boxing fan and you don’t snap that up, I think you’re crazy!

On competing in same arena which hosted so many of his father’s career highlights

It means a lot to me. This is an opportunity for me to make my own name in the sport and prove how good I am in my own right and carry on the family legacy of big nights in the Manchester Arena. I’m looking forward to it – I can’t wait to get in there and show what I am about!

On what he expects this fight to look like

I don’t take backwards steps, I like to get involved. I think in this fight, one of us gets taken out, one of us hits the canvas. Obviously I am planning for that to be him.

My coach has been watching a lot of tape on him and feels like he doesn’t react well to getting hit hard and put under heavy pressure. If that’s the case then it’s going to be a bad day at work for him in Manchester Arena on March 25th, because I hit hard and I bring the pressure.