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By Thomas Gerbasi - Mauricio Herrera says that when it comes to fighting, he’s “not picky.” In other words, if you call him up for a fight, you really don’t need to tell him a name, just a date and a place. Suffice to say, he’s not a diva. He’s laid back, easygoing, and not one to make waves.
So when his amateur career ended with a reported 33-1-1 record, the 23-year-old from Riverside, California listened to his then-trainer when he was told that he had probably reached the end of the road in his boxing career. Herrera may not have liked that verdict, but he accepted it.
For a while.
Soon though, the lure of the sport was becoming too strong, and he and his younger brother Alberto began putting the gloves on and working out in their parents’ garage.
“We always had a sparring partner, so we kept in shape,” he laughed. “A lot of kids around the neighborhood were also welcome if they wanted to spar.”
The dream? Not of glory or riches, but to see if he had what it took to compete in the pro ranks.
“In the back of my head I always had the dream that I wanted to fight pro and I just didn’t know how or when, and it was very frustrating,” Herrera remembers. “After my last trainer, I left him and stopped fighting amateur, and I continued training with my younger brother Albert in my parents’ garage for a couple years. We trained ourselves and prepared ourselves, never giving up and thinking one day something’s gonna happen. We didn’t know how or when or who’s gonna take us, but we said let’s keep going and keep training ourselves.” [Click Here To Read More]
So when his amateur career ended with a reported 33-1-1 record, the 23-year-old from Riverside, California listened to his then-trainer when he was told that he had probably reached the end of the road in his boxing career. Herrera may not have liked that verdict, but he accepted it.
For a while.
Soon though, the lure of the sport was becoming too strong, and he and his younger brother Alberto began putting the gloves on and working out in their parents’ garage.
“We always had a sparring partner, so we kept in shape,” he laughed. “A lot of kids around the neighborhood were also welcome if they wanted to spar.”
The dream? Not of glory or riches, but to see if he had what it took to compete in the pro ranks.
“In the back of my head I always had the dream that I wanted to fight pro and I just didn’t know how or when, and it was very frustrating,” Herrera remembers. “After my last trainer, I left him and stopped fighting amateur, and I continued training with my younger brother Albert in my parents’ garage for a couple years. We trained ourselves and prepared ourselves, never giving up and thinking one day something’s gonna happen. We didn’t know how or when or who’s gonna take us, but we said let’s keep going and keep training ourselves.” [Click Here To Read More]