Gomez Jnr Pays the Price for Taking the Last Round Off

Winning the Lonsdale belt that his father once held meant the world to Michel Gomez Jnr. Doing it with millions watching on the Dubois-Wardley undercard would have made it even more special.

After 12 absorbing rounds, it looked to most observers that the titles would be his. Gomez certainly thought so, as he spent the last round dancing and celebrating with his hands in the air.

The fans scorecard on the DAZN broadcast indicated a shutout win for the Mancunian. The ringside pundits gave O'Doherty the odd round, but nowhere enough to put the result in question.

The official result of a draw came as a massive shock to Gomez Jnr and everyone watching. 

Michael was close to tears as he left the ring. He asked the DAZN reporter "how can three old men who'd never boxed in their life ruin a kid's dream like that?"

He went as far as saying that he would never box in a British Boxing Board of Control ring again until the judges for this contest were made to explain themselves.

After posing for photographs with fans, his mood sank even lower. He said he no longer wanted to continue in boxing at all after that. His emotion is understandable, but hopefully he'll reconsider after the shock subsides.

The decision is a reminder that boxing scoring is subjective. That is why it's never advisable to coast, thinking the fight's in the bag, because you never know how the three judges have it.

I thought Gomez Jnr was winning most of the rounds, and I fully expected a clear points win for him. But I also felt that O'Doherty was competitive throughout, and that the rounds were just being nicked by Gomez.  

Neither man would give an inch during the contest. They fought in the pocket throughout, ripping constant hooks to head and body. When one man landed, the other would always reply. 

But from where I was sitting, Gomez Jnr was landing the better quality punches and seemed to be the boss in there. 

I hope Gomez Jnr can draw inspiration from his father's reaction to setbacks. Gomez Snr was defeated several times by journeymen and appeared to be going nowhere. But he then found a winning streak that lasted for four years.

He too once decided he'd had enough of boxing, and actually walked out of the ring mid-fight, against Peter McDonagh in 2006. But after some time out, he chose to return to the ring and take on rising star, Amir Khan. He didn't win that night, but he floored the Olympic medallist and delighted his legions of Manchester fans.

Gomez Jnr has a lot more to offer, and I hope he can turn this bitter disappointment into motivation for the next stage of his career.