Michael Gomez: podcast appearances and interviews

Michael Gomez, born Michael Armstrong on June 21, 1977, is a trauma specialist and clinical psychologist. He is a former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2009. Gomez was born into an Irish Traveller family in Longford, Ireland, and spent his early years in Dublin before relocating to London and subsequently Manchester, England, at the age of nine. During his boxing career, he earned nicknames such as 'The Predator,' 'The Irish Mexican,' and 'The Mancunian Mexican.' Although he finished his career fighting in the lightweight division, Gomez is particularly noted for his fights at featherweight and super-featherweight. Throughout his boxing tenure, he secured several regional championships, including two British super-featherweight titles from 1999 to 2004 and the WBU super-featherweight title from 2004 to 2005. Gomez’s life outside the ring has been marked by turbulence, and he was often involved in controversial fights. His early career included losses to journeymen, followed by a nearly four-year winning streak, with many of his 17 fights between 2001 and 2008 ending in knockouts. Concerns about his personal life, including drinking and diet issues, arose after a loss in 2001, but he appeared to have been rehabilitated with a significant win against Alex Arthur in 2003. In 2006, Gomez experienced a controversial defeat to Peter McDonagh when he walked out of the ring, stating he retired. After a break, he returned to boxing and faced notable opponents, including Amir Khan in 2008, in what was likely his final bout.