Arthur ponders Gomez rematch
by Mark Doyle, 07 October 2008
Alex Arthur has all but given up on Nicky Cook offering him a rematch and the Scot is now turning his attention to a clash with Michael Gomez.
Arthur was bitterly disappointed with the nature of last month’s unanimous points defeat to Cook in what was the Edinburgh native’s first defence of his WBO super-featherweight title.
He was desperately hoping that a rematch could be arranged but now believes that a move up to lightweight and a meeting with the only man ever to stop him, Gomez, is the most viable option available to him now.
"While on holidy in Turkey with my family recently I came to the conclusion, reluctantly, that Nicky Cook isn't likely to grant me a rematch after taking away my title in September, even though I'm still adamant that ring rust – not fighting for nine months – was as much to blame for Cook beating me as anything that he did in the ring was,” Arthur is quoted as saying by The Scotsman.
"Until now I've scorned the idea of a rematch with Michael Gomez because he would never make super-featherweight again but now, as I'm unlikely to get a Cook rematch, I'd definitely be interested in fighting Gomez at lightweight.
"I've come to accept that sooner or later I'll have to move up to that weight."
Gomez produced a massive upset when he stopped Arthur in the fifth round of their British title fight in Edinburgh in October, 2003.