By Mitch Abramson
Golden Boy’s undefeated prospect, Eddie Gomez of the Bronx has been chosen to serve as a sparring partner for Victor Ortiz, in preparation for his Sept. 17 bout with Floyd Mayweather, Gomez told BoxingScene.com on Wednesday. The 6-0 Gomez, fresh off a first-round annihilation of Marcus Hall on Friday, departs for Southern California on Sunday and will either fight on the undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or the day before on a separate show, he said. Oddly enough, Gomez’s favorite fighter is none other than Mayweather. This will be his first training camp of his pro career.
“That’s a great opportunity to show what I can do against an elite fighter,” said Gomez, a junior middleweight who will celebrate his 19th birthday on Thursday. “I have to get this guy ready against my favorite fighter. That’s kind of funny but when they see the work that I put in, I know I’m going to be his main sparring partner.”
Gomez (6-0, five knockouts) said he’s going to approach his sparring with an eye toward gaining Ortiz’s respect.
“If I have a chance to hurt him, I will,” said Gomez, who admitted to currently weighing around 165 pounds. “They’re going to probably try to test me out there. I have to show that I can compete at an elite level.”
Gomez, a former amateur standout with over 100 fights, will make the trip with his father. A soon-to-be senior at JFK high school in the Bronx, Gomez said he starts high school on Sept. 19th, two days after the Mayweather-Ortiz welterweight bout.
Mitch Abramson covers the boxing scene for the New York Daily News and BoxingScene.com.