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Opposites attack: Mauricio Herrera vs. Frankie Gomez

Fighters Network
27
Apr
Frankie Gomez, who has had a reputation of being an underachiever, knows he has to be at his best to beat Mauricio Herrera on May 7. Photo / Hoganphotos-Golden boy Promotions

Frankie Gomez, who has had a reputation of being an underachiever, knows he has to be at his best to beat Mauricio Herrera on May 7. Photo / Hoganphotos-Golden boy Promotions

LOS ANGELES – Be it their style in the ring, their personalities, the stages of their careers, or how they got to this point, Mauricio Herrera and Frankie Gomez are polar opposites in every sense of the term.

The two junior welterweight will square off on the HBO pay-per-view undercard of the May 7 Canelo Alvarez-Amir Khan main event, and this past Tuesday, they spoke to RingTV.com following a media workout held at the City of Angels Gym.

Come fight night, it will be almost 10 months since we last saw Herrera (22-5, 7 knockouts) in the ring. With a distinct scar on his right brow, the remnants of that fight will forever remain.

“It healed good. It’s been almost a year, so if it hasn’t healed now, it’s not gonna heal,” said Herrera, THE RING’s No. 8-rated 140 pounder, when asked how it feels. “I try not to worry about the cut. If it opens up, then whatever, I’ll deal with it then, but for now, we’re just worried on going out there, performing, having a good time, and a good show.”



Photo by Tom Hogan / Hoganphotos

Photo by Tom Hogan / Hoganphotos

Caused by an accidental clash of heads in his fight with Hank Lundy last July, the gash was bad enough to warrant an early stoppage and go to the scorecards after only the fifth round of a scheduled 12. Although he won on points, Herrera admitted he wasn’t satisfied with that night.

“I was kind of mad and frustrated,” he said. “Nothing is ever going right, as you see each fight something is not complete. It gets frustrating, and that night I was frustrated. It was a big night, a main event, I wanted to do a great show with Lundy, and it went all the other way around.”

It was yet another example of the hard-pressed luck Herrera has had in his career. In 2014, many believe Herrera got a raw deal after he received a majority decision defeat to, at the time, THE RING/WBC/WBA junior welterweight champion, Danny Garcia. Nine months later, he was at the short end of the stick yet again, when he received a much wider decision loss to Jose Benavidez, after what many perceived to be a close fight.

As if he needed another reminder of the rotten breaks he’s endured, the 35 year old was originally planned to face well-known Argentinian contender, Lucas Matthysse, on May 7. However, due to a lingering discomfort in his left eye, Matthysse pulled out of the fight, and as far as his disappointment to the news is concerned, Herrera responded, “a little bit, but when they mentioned Frankie Gomez I knew it was just as tough, and it was a fight that I was gonna get up and able to train for. It got me excited. It didn’t bother me after that, until they mentioned his name because I know he’s tough. I need fights like that, that make me get up and train, and he’s one of those guys.”

Oddly enough, Herrera has found himself in front of Gomez by a stroke of luck.

“Golden Boy has been giving me tickets to go to Fantasy Springs and that’s where I’ve been seeing him,” Herrera said about Gomez. “I never thought I was gonna face him, I thought they were just gonna build him up, so I was kind of watching him, but when they mentioned him, then I started following him.”

Gomez’s last three fights have been in that Indio, California casino, and Herrera, who lives and trains in nearby Riverside, has had opportunities to watch him with a bird’s-eye view. His perspective over the past year on Gomez doesn’t end there either, as Herrera was present for one of the negative moments of Gomez’s young career, and adding to the irony, the occasion was on the undercard of another Canelo fight last May.

“When he was gonna fight ‘La Zorrita’ (Humberto Soto), I was there in Texas. Then he comes in eight pounds over, I was like, what the heck? Something’s not right,” remembered Herrera. He continued, “When they offered me the fight with him I’m thinking, that’s the guy that didn’t make the weight over there, that tells me a lot. Mentally, does he care? Does he know how big he would’ve had it? Who knows? Maybe he’s weak-minded and not driven, so all that can be to my advantage.”

Staying on the subject of heaviness, Herrera and Gomez will fight at a contracted weight of 147 pounds.

“We wanted it at 147 because I was originally gonna fight Matthysse at 147, and that didn’t come through. So then they offered me Gomez, and I told Golden Boy my mind is at 147, I’m gonna give that a go still – so let him know if he wants 147 that’s where I want to fight at,” said Herrera.

“They didn’t want it at 147 – they wanted it at 140. Of course we had the more say-so, so we said the lowest we would go was 146. So they agreed to that, they were happy by that one pound. I don’t know why. I’m thinking, the guy doesn’t make weight why is he even crying? He should be happy. So we gave him that pound just to close the contract.”

On whether or not he’s finished at 140 pounds, Herrera responded, “No, I can still make 140. We will do it if it is only the right fight.” And if you’re wondering what the “right fight” is, Herrera proceeded to mention two world title holders in the junior welterweight division: Terence Crawford (WBO) and Viktor Postol (WBC) – who just signed a contract to face each other on July 23. Herrera’s cut-and-dried personality is contrary to the vague style of fighting he presents to his opponents. It’s an approach loitered with savvy positioning and unconventional angles to his punches, but when speaking, he’s to the point, and thorough when answering questions.

Gomez on the other hand, couldn’t be any more different.

Frankie-Gomez-handwrap_Hoganphotos“I get kind of nervous when I’m talking to reporters. It’s not really my thing. I rather go in the ring and fight,” admitted Gomez when asked about his shy demeanor.

While he may be starved for words, it’s become well known that his stomach is typically well fed. Bringing up the issues of his weight has been the narrative of his story the past year, but with his toughest opponent too date on the horizon, it’s lit a fire under his ass.

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Gomez responded to the notion. “I think I’m more hungry than a few fights before. I’m 100-percent disciplined in the sport. I feel good, my mindset is good, and I’m just ready.”

Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs) has entrusted himself as being the person responsible for keeping an eye on his biggest issue.

“Kind of on my own,” said Gomez when asked if he’s hired a dietician or has needed assistance in the process. “I used to eat late at night, and now past a certain time I don’t eat. If I do eat little heavy, I go out for a nice jog and sweat it out. I think it’s been helping, so I stick to it.”

Herrera will be Gomez’s second opponent in the first half of 2016, and his third in seven months.

“Yes, it helps me keep the weight down. To stay in the gym and stay focused,” said Gomez about fighting often as of late. “The long layoffs gave me a chance to just blow up, and not go to the gym.”

Turning pro just shy of his 18th birthday, Gomez’s talent was unmistakable as an amateur, and it garnered him a generous contract from Golden Boy Promotions right out of the gate. His debut happened to be on a pay-per-view undercard, and it being in the 2010 rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. is a testament to how lengthened his progression has been. Last year’s mishaps at the scale didn’t end with his cancelled bout with Soto. He proceeded to show up three pounds overweight in his bout with Jorge Silva last October, and while the fight went on after a penalty fee, Gomez would find himself forced to weigh-in, even without a fight date. It was as embarrassing for him as it would seem for anyone who had to show up to the Golden Boy offices for an enforced weigh-in earlier this year.

“It means a lot, I feel blessed, especially to get a second opportunity like this on a big undercard, and I’m gonna take advantage of it,” said Gomez about being back on a Canelo undercard.

“I expect it to be a great fight. I know he’ll use his speed against me, and he’s gonna try to frustrate me, but I’ve been sparring with guys that attempt to do the same thing.”

The East Los Angeles native was known for the power in his right hand years back, but lately he’s been going the distance.

“(Knockouts are) what the fans like but I just want to get rounds in,” responded Gomez when asked if he misses knocking people out. “I want to get the rounds in and see what it feels like to eight, nine, 10 rounds, and eventually 12. I want to be ready just in case that time comes.”

The 24 year old is likely to get exactly that in his 10-rounder against Herrera – who has never been stopped.

“It’s better for me,” Gomez remarked about the 146-pound catchweight, but the welterweight division won’t be forthcoming, as he still plans to fight at junior welterweight. “I haven’t looked past (Herrera), he’s a tough opponent. If I beat him, it’s gonna put me up there, and that’s what I plan to do.”

It’s a match-up between a disciplined veteran and a disorderly prospect, and the stakes for this fight will come with a bigger named opponent in their future. Even though they’re different from just about every angle, they do have one thing in common, and that’s erasing the past.

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