Mauricio Herrera has a change of heart regarding Frankie Gomez clash

When Mauricio Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) was first offered a fight against troubled-but-talented prospect Frankie Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs), he was both angry and disappointed. In his own words Herrera felt like:

"Hey, do I not deserve a more established name on the big stage?"

Herrera's disappointment, however, was transformed into excitement when he was alternatively offered a fight against Lucas Matthysse on the Canelo-Khan undercard. Facing a fan favorite in Matthysse on a big PPV card was a much more appealing proposition for Herrera. Unfortunately, that elation vaporized in short order after Matthysse backed out of the fight citing lingering issues with his right eye. Once again, Herrera felt like he got the short end of the stick.

"I was disappointed because that's my luck, the way my career has been going, up and down," Herrera said.

Frankie Gomez was then re-offered to Herrera, who by this time had a change of heart about the fight.

"When (Golden Boy) mentioned Frankie Gomez, I started to think about that- Frankie Gomez- he's a tough guy and that lifted me up and I got real excited," Herrera admits. "The real boxing fans know who he is and it's not one of those cherry-picking fights. It's a tough fight so I was back on a big stage so I was real excited and happy."

With Herrera now slated to face Gomez at a contracted 146lb catch weight, Herrera believes this is a great opportunity to get his name in the mix in a fairly loaded welterweight division. Should Herrera best Gomez on May 7th, he says he'd like another shot at Danny Garcia (to whom he lost a controversial decision in 2014) or newly crowned WBO champion Jessie Vargas.

Make no mistake about it though, Herrera should have his hands full with the ultra-talented Frankie Gomez in the meanwhile...