Gomez looks to make ultimate step up…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
I plum forgot what we have going on this weekend. In boxing, there is a crucial (well, I think so) heavyweight bout between Vitali Klitschko and Juan Carlos Gomez for the WBC heavyweight championship.
Always been a fan of Vitali (not so much Wladimir). But for argument’s sake, it would be refreshing if Gomez could pull out the win.
The Cuban dominated the cruiserweight scene after winning the belt in 1998. He made 11 straight defenses with 10 of them ending via KO or TKO.
Then he moved up to heavyweight. So far against some of the fringe contenders, his power hasn’t carried. He’s been winning comfortable-margin decisions but hasn’t knocked out anybody.
We know Vitali can punch, so can Gomez take a real heavyweight shot?
Gomez is 44-1 and at a time when all we’re really looking for is some new blood to be infused in the heavyweights, why not a 35-year-old Cuban?
There has been a late schedule change to the bout. It was originally supposed to be on ESPN live from Germany at 5 p.m. CST.
It’s now going to be on ESPN Classic Live and then shown quickly on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. CST. I won’t be home for either viewing, so rest assured, the VCR will be in full use.
But just for the record, I think Klitschko takes care of business. Think Gomez would have had better shot vs. Wladimir than Vitali.
Zuhdi, Tahdooahnippah fight through adversity
It was a wild ride for Oklahoma lightweight champion Noah Zuhdi last week.
His opponent changed four times in less than a week heading into last Friday’s bout at the First Council Casino in Newkirk.
Eventually, Zuhdi knocked out James McClure in the sixth round. Zuhdi, a lightweight, agreed to fight McClure even though McClure weighed in as a welterweight, a 12-pound difference.
All of Zuhdi’s previous six fights ended in the first round, but he said he was very pleased with his performance despite injuring his left hand in the second round.
Lawton middleweight George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah also went six rounds and also scored a knockout. Tahdooahnippah injured his shoulder during the bout but persevered to win his third fight of the year and improve to 18-0-1.
Jones bounces back
Oklahoma City welterweight Carson Jones has come off losses before. But his latest loss should have given him confidence, a decision against Jesus Soto-Karass in February.
In his first fight back, he displayed that confidence. Jones easily knocked out Mike McGuire in the second round to up his record to 19-7-1, also on the Newkirk card.
Former Oklahoma City Blazers enforcer Ron Aubrey earned a second-round TKO on the card as well.
Lawal’s popularity growing
While some former Oklahoma State wrestlers are fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Mo Lawal has found another outlet: Japan.
So far, so good. Lawal has found success in his first three MMA bouts for the World Victory Road promotion and his unique training videos are becoming very popular among MMA fans.
He has won all three of his fights by knockout and fights Friday against Ryo Kawamura. The event will be televised by HDNet.
Lawal was a national champion at Central Oklahoma in 2002 and placed third at Oklahoma State in 2003.
(I’ll be doing what I can to try to get coverage of this. I remembered Lawal vaguely from my college days at Oklahoma. But his videos definitely give him that certain something to help him stand out.)
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