Official Press Release Universum Box-Promotion
Exile Cuban and boxing world champion
Juan Carlos Gomez wants to come to Florida

HAMBURG, 2 November 1998.
Author: Fabian Weber

Inside the ring he's a merciless fighter, who likes to finish his opponents quickly and impressively. Outside the ring he's a smart and sympathetic young ladykiller, who gets women into ecstasy in rows.

Thousands of miles from his place of birth, on a different continent, the handsome 25 year-old professional boxer Juan Carlos Gomez has emerged to one of the greatest talents in boxing today. In 1995, shortly after becoming a national Cuban amateur boxing champion, Gomez had left his home of Havanna to change to a country, where the government does not ban the professional exercise of the sport that he loves.

It's now three years that the exile Cuban is signed at the German promotional company Universum Box-Promotion and lives in Hamburg, Germany in the middle of the European continent. The 6 feet 4 inches (1,92 m) tall model athlete Gomez is campaigning at cruiserweight, the highest weight class below the heavyweights. It has a limit of 190 pounds (86,18 kg).

Since Juan Carlos Gomez had left Cuba, the closest he came to his native country was, when he dethroned the reigning WBC cruiserweight world champion Marcello Dominguez in Argentina on 21 February this year. Most observers felt that this fight that took place in a huge sold out arena in Buenos Aires was one of the most exciting world championships they had seen in years.

Gomez has defended his title twice very impressively since then, running his undefeated record to 25 wins in 25 fights. Gomez, who's as skillful as powerful, knocked out 21 of his victims.

Now Juan Carlos Gomez wants to fullfil his greatest wish: "It's my dream to go to Florida and defend my world title in front of my countrymen. I know that there are living one million exile Cubans in Florida. It would be the greatest show one can expect."

A possible opponent for this fight that could take place early in 1999 is his rival champion Carl Thompson from England, who is holding the WBO world title. The winner would be considered a unified world champion.

"In Cuba I'm almost known to the whole population. I have contacts to my family, my colleagues and my friends. They're all asking me, when I'd come back to Cuba", Gomez explained. "But this is not my own decision. As long as the current Castro-regime is lasting, I certainly can't return."

Unable to return to his native country, a fight in Florida would be the best chance for the exile Cuban to show up in front of his countrymen. Televised nationwide in the USA, this fight between two reigning world champions could be the great American breakthrough for Juan Carlos Gomez also.