Tommy Gómez

Tommy Gomez (December 25 1919 - April 28 2006) was a hard-punching American boxer at Heavyweight.

Professional career

Gomez was born December 25 1919 in Tampa, Florida.

Gomez, known as "Tampa Tommy", turned pro in 1939. Although Gomez never fought for a major title, he fought several notable fighters of his era, including Jersey Joe Walcott. He was often ducked by many of the heavyweight contenders of his time due to his fierce power. Gomez was a feared knockout artist, and was named to the Ring Magazine list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time. After 86 professional fights, Gomez retired in 1950 with a career boxing record is 75-9-2 (65 KOs).

Outside of the Ring

Gomez was a World War II Purple Heart veteran who was wounded 16 times in Germany. He died April 27, 2006 in a hospital in Austell, GA after a brief illness. He was buried in Tampa Florida, on Tuesday, May 2nd.

Personal

Gomez was Spanish-American, his parents having immigrated from Spain. His survivors include four daughters by his wife of 58 years, Opal May Gomez.

See also

External links

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