Overweight Gomez like 'Raging Bull'

VOLATILE former world champion Michael Gomez exploded in fury yesterday after weighing in over the light-welterweight limit.

The surly Irish-born boxer was already in a vile temper when he arrived half-an-hour late at Dalziel Country Club near Motherwell for the official weigh-in for his non-title bout with Englishman Baz Carey this evening. But following an unseemly exchange with his opponent, 31-year-old Gomez, who is based in Manchester, had to be restrained by fight boss Tommy Gilmour after he squared up to Carey.

Gomez, who was four ounces over the 10-stone ceiling, eventually agreed to forfeit 15 per cent of his purse to his rival from the Midlands to enable the bout to go ahead. Gilmour said: "Gomez was behaving like Raging Bull. He was ready for a square go with Carey he was so angry.

"But he was given the choice of trying to lose the excess weight or forfeiting part of his purse and he agreed to the latter."

Gomez, who ended Alex Arthur's unbeaten run in October 2002, is no stranger to controversy and has been involved in several well publicised scrapes inside and outside the ring.

Meanwhile, two of Gilmour's stable will be involved in British title action before the end of the year after the Boxing Board of Control confirmed two-time world lightweight champion Lee McAllister from Aberdeen will challenge John Murray for his Lonsdale Belt in Manchester on 13 December. Stevie McGuire of Glenrothes will also be in action on the same bill when he faces Brian Magee for the vacant super-middleweight crown.

Kevin McIntyre, from Paisley, will, as expected, bid to win back the British welterweight title from Kell Brook on a Sports Network show at the Kelvin Hall on 14 November.

Four Scots have also been confirmed as contenders after purse bids were set with a 12 November deadline. Bannockburn light-middleweight Jamie Coyle, who lost on points to Ryan Rhodes for the British crown last month, has been nominated to fight Taz Jones for the vacant Celtic belt.

Former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Kevin Anderson is also back on the title trail along with stablemate Barry Morrison, the ex British light-welterweight champion.

Anderson and Morrison will face Barrie Jones and Stuart Phillips respectively, while Glaswegian Craig Docherty has earned a crack at Gary Buckland for the lightweight crown.

• Evander Hoylfield should learn next week whether he has secured another shot at the world heavyweight title at the age of 46. German promoter Wilfried Sauerland has confirmed the former undisputed champion wants to return to the ring to challenge Nikolai Valuev for the WBA title – but insists a deal is far from done.