By Jim Dower: Unbeaten welterweight prospect Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (21-0, 13 KOs) picked up the best win of his six-year pro career on Saturday night in defeating 35-year-old Mauricio Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) in beating him by a lopsided 10 round unanimous decision to at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The final judges’ scores were 100-90, 100-90 and 100-90.
“It feels good to get this victory,” said Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez. “I trained really hard and it paid off. I’m ready to take on my next challenge and take on the best at 140. I want to thank my fans, and I’m glad I was able to put on a good show for them.”
“It wasn’t my night,” said Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera. “I never give up and my fans know that. I hope to be back in vegas soon because I’ll go anywhere for a fight.”
Gomez, 24, fought well in throwing hard combinations, and moving constantly to keep Herrera from having a stationary target. It wouldn’t have mattered if Gomez had stood in the pocket all night long and fought Herrera that way because he was too powerful for him. Herrera is a light welterweight basically who doesn’t have the punching power to compete with big welterweights like Gomez. In looking at how big and powerful Gomez is, it’s hard to believe that his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions have been trying to keep him at light welterweight. Gomez is clearly a natural welterweight at this point in his career, and won’t be surprising if he soon outgrows that division as well.
What was especially impressive about Gomez’s performance tonight was how easily he won. Nobody had ever beaten Herrera the way he did. This is the same Herrera who was arguably robbed of a decision two years ago in his controversial 12 round decision loss to former WBC light welterweight champion Danny Garcia. What we saw tonight is that Gomez is at a higher level than Danny Garcia. You would have to favor Gomez if that fight were to be made. His promoters at Golden Boy needs to push him forward against the best welterweights because I believe he’s ready to face them. The only guy that could present a lot of problems for Gomez right now is someone like Errol Spence, who can move quickly around the ring to force fighters that move to punch with him. Gomez hits hard and is quick, but he doesn’t posses the power that Spence has. That might be a step too far for Gomez. But other than Spence, I think he matches up well with all the other welterweights.