Catching up with Team Gomez!

On December 4, Alfonso Gomez was set to square off against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a Top Rank showdown that really had the fans talking.

Unfortunately due to an elbow injury, everybody’s favorite “Contender” star was forced to pull out of the fight. Subsequently, the Chavez Jr. battle versus new opponent Pawel Wolak was also waylaid due to Junior’s bout with the flu.

But for Team Gomez, that is so “2010.”

It’s a New Year–with plenty of new and exciting plans for the camp.

I caught up with Gomez (22-4-2, 11 KOs) and his two brothers, Robb and Zeuz, as they gear up for a community event THIS Friday, January 21 in Pico Rivera, California. The Brothers Gomez are part of the band Hy3rid, a fusion of rock in Spanish and hip hop; Alfonso has become known for his rap songs at the mic during his boxing press conferences.

Now the talented trio are combining their love of boxing, music, and giving back to the community in a Southland event they’re involved with for the City of Pico Rivera’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

If you’d like to meet Alfonso and several boxing heroes, his bros and Hy3rid bandmates, their “Boxing Superstars Meet & Greet” is where you’ll want to be.

“Everything is going good,” Gomez, the WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Champion, tells me today, adding that Robb is doing a bang-up job in coordinating this special gathering coming up soon.

“It’s going great! “We’ve got a lot boxers like Alfonso Gomez, Sergio Martinez, Freddy Hernandez, Giovani Segura, Robert Garcia, Brandon Rios and a lot more!” confirms Robb during our chat. “Miguez Vazquez, Jose Santa Cruz, also some prospects like Walter “Schoolboy” Sarnoi, undefeated Leo Santa Cruz and Charles Huerta said they’re coming. There will be booths inside for all the fighters.”

Team Gomez is no doubt disappointed that last month’s clash against Chavez Jr. didn’t ever happen. But Alfonso and his camp say he was more than ready for it.

“Do you know when your next fight will be?” I ask him.

He says they don’t have any particular fight scheduled yet, but you can always count on this SoCal boxer to be back in the ring soon. “My elbow is much better,” Gomez relays. “Not 100 percent–but close!”

“His therapy went great; his elbow is good,” states brother Robb. “His camp for Chavez Jr. was going great too. He was at La Habra Boxing and Maywood Gym training with my dad. We’re hoping he’ll fight again in March or April. ”

Alfonso had even traveled to Texas to attend the Pacquiao-Margarito fight during the Gomez-Chavez Jr. media tour. He says even though his own bout didn’t occur, he’s still glad that he had the chance to support his fellow fighters. “The trip to Dallas was real fun. I had a chance to interact with fans in an event hosted by Piolín right before the fight,” the welter mentions. “The fight was full of excitement at first, but full of concern after because of the beating that Antonio took.”

As his fans wait for his own return to the ring, Gomez says if he had faced the son of a legend (with boxing’s royal bloodline), there never was any extra stress over whom the opponent was. “There was no added pressure,” offers Alfonso. “The fact that it was a big fight was very motivating–whether it was Junior or someone else.”

And the busy boxer from Guadalajara is also a musician, writer, businessman, husband, father to a 17-month-old baby girl, and mucho mas! He has recently incorporated his website into a brand new social website and is also linked with Kimurawear, with his official walkout T-shirt from the Jose Luis Castillo victory now available to fans worldwide. Gomez, a World Boxing Council titlist, has also appeared as an Ambassador at various WBCares charity events too.

I ask Gomez, “How do you balance it all?”

“It’s all about connecting the dots,” he assesses. “I box because I know that winning fights provides my family–and Hy3rid–a better chance at success.”But the main source of my focus to accomplish all these things comes from my daughter, Heidi Luna.”

Family is the backbone in Team Gomez. He and his two siblings work well together in both the boxing world and the music universe. Besides their passion for the sweet science, music stands tall as a huge passion–and a career–for the Gomez family as well.

The third and youngest brother Jesus (more commonly known to fans as “Dr. Zeuz”) is very excited about all their new ventures. “Hy3rid is doing great right now. We released our mixtape “Hy3rid H3 Mixtape 1″ downloadable for free only at hy3rid.com,” shares Zeuz. “We also did a music video called “En La Cima” which includes footage of Alfonso’s preparation for the Julio Cesar Chavez fight. And we just released a new track called “Obama Si Se Puede” with a very well known feature.

I checked out their new video with Que Buena’s Don Cheto feature and as the boys would say, “The rhymes are tight!”

Lead singer Robb says things are going well for the band. “We were part of a talent show called “Tengo Talento Mucho Talento” on Channel 62 Estrella TV. We made it to the semi finals in the competition,” the young musician says. “And in one of our new videos we show Alfonso when he was training for his fight against Chavez.”

And the guys are all really looking forward to their Pico Rivera boxing extravaganza. The Gomez three wanted to lend their support to their community–especially during this time of recession.

“It’s free to get in, there will be free drawings with boxing and sports items, and FREE autographs too,” raves Robb, about Friday’s party where Hy3rid will also be represented. “We’ve been working with the City of Pico for about three and a half years now. And Efrain Lee and the city have been great in planning this with us. It’s the first one the city is doing. Now the event is right around the corner!”

This autograph fiesta is one for the fans. And Gomez, who has beaten the likes of Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Peter Manfredo Jr., among many others is happy to give thanks and a shout out to the loyal fans who have been in his corner during his championship career.

“Thank you to all the fans that support me as the boxer,” Alfonso says with sincere appreciation, “and to all those that follow me on Hy3rid as a musician and also, thank you, Michele. See you Friday!”

Don’t miss seeing Alfonso Gomez and all of the boxing stars at the Pico Rivera meet and greet.

Photos courtesy of Michele Chong and Robb Gomez/ Hy3rid

City of Pico Rivera
Boxing Superstars with Alfonso Gomez
Friday, January 21 5:00 PM-8:00 PM
Pico Park
9528 Beverly Blvd.
Pico Rivera, CA