On October 26, Michael Gomez Jr. (21-1, 6 KOs) was set to face Reece Bellotti (19-5, 14 KOs) at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena on the undercard of Jack Catterall vs. Regis Prograis. However, fans watching the live DAZN broadcast were informed just before the main event that the matchup was canceled after Gomez Jr. fell ill in the dressing room. Following the announcement, Bellotti expressed his frustration, saying, “He’s swallowed it.”
Gomez Jr. has now broken his silence, sharing a heartfelt statement on Instagram. “Now that things have settled down, I want to thank some key people,” he began. “First, I want to thank my manager, @maree_boxing, and my trainers, @mikejennings1 and @dave_jennings01. I didn’t want them to call the doctor that night, but I’m so grateful they did. They genuinely put the well-being of fighters above all else.”
The boxer praised the doctors who attended to him, noting, “The doctors were incredible. Thanks to the BBB of C, we were able to quickly identify that I had an infection.”
Gomez Jr. also expressed his gratitude to Matchroom Boxing, DAZN, and Eddie Hearn for their support. “They focused solely on my well-being, and that meant a lot,” he shared. He also acknowledged the many messages of support from fans, explaining, “I apologize for not being able to respond to everyone—my mind has been a bit all over the place.”
Since that night, Gomez Jr. has been diagnosed with a kidney infection but assured fans that he’s on the mend. Looking ahead, he stated, “I’m determined to have this fight again soon, and that’s where my full focus lies now. 2025, don’t sleep on me.”
Fans are eagerly anticipating Gomez Jr.’s return to the ring, hoping he’ll be back stronger than ever.
