If there’s anyone, who has been pressed for hard luck in the world of boxing, its junior-welterweight Mauricio Herrera. Last year he traveled to Puerto Rico in a homecoming of sorts for then 140 lb. champion Danny Garcia. In a bout where many feel Herrera had beaten Garcia to become the new champion, Herrera left Puerto Rico empty handed.
Then late that year he took on youngster Jose Benavidez Jr. for the interim WBA 140 lb. title. In a fight many felt he won, once again he was on the losing end. While frustrated, Herrera feels that’s the politics and ugliness in boxing.
“That’s the dirty part of boxing and I guess that’s what it comes with,” Herrera said to Brian Campbell of ESPN.com “There are a lot of fighters that seem to be going through the same thing. Even the old school fighters that had 200 fights, I’m sure that they had some political losses on their record as well. I’m still hungry, and I don’t let that get to me. I have a big family, big support, and it’s all positive. I just have to stay like that, and I can’t let it get to me. I need to keep proving myself.”
Herrera still feels he won the Garcia fight. His nickname is the “Maestro” or teacher in English. He feels he took Garcia to school in March
“I think it’s just all over the place and hard to describe,” stated Herrera. “The way Danny sees it, it just baffled him. He was confused. I don’t think he even knew what style I had. I think that’s what gives most of these conventional fighters’ problems because I don’t have a big amateur background, so I do come a little awkward. So they are not used to that, and I think that’s my biggest advantage. But not only that, I use the basics, which is my jab. A lot of them can’t even get past that.”
He takes on another hard-nosed fighter in Hank Lundy in what may be the cliché crossroads fight on HBO Latino this weekend. Herrera says it won’t be an easy fight for either man
“He (Lundy) may look tricky and tough with speed. He has good footwork as a southpaw. The guy has everything. But I’ve seen some of those guys in the past, and sometimes you go in there, and they are the easiest guys to fight. So I won’t know until I get in there. I’m good at adjusting in there and I think Hank Lundy in there will have some problems with me as well. It won’t be an easy night for him.”
