Mauricio Herrera faced Danny Garcia on March 15 in Puerto Rico on a Showtime broadcast that had the fans cheering. The outcome was a controversial loss for Herrera but nonetheless, he returned to the U.S. a hero with a legion of new fans following his career. Here is my SPECIAL REPORT from Mauricio’s “Welcome Home” party where his family and friends continued to show their longtime support. He may not have gotten the decision, but Herrera got a moral victory for going toe to toe versus Garcia.
Getting a late start in boxing has never deterred Southern California fighter Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (20-4, 7 KOs).
After recently signing with Golden Boy Promotions, the junior welterweight got the opportunity he had been waiting for–to fight Danny “Swift” Garcia for Garcia’s WBC and WBA titles. This bout was held in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, where Philly’s Garcia would embrace his Puerto Rican heritage. Herrera was coming in as the huge underdog with the majority of pundits proclaiming an easy win for the heavily-favored Danny Garcia.
But during this 12-round battle, Mauricio had a few plans of his own to flip the script. Herrera used his boxing skills, mental toughness (even after hearing the loud boos of the partisan crowd) and his wily veteran prowess to give Garcia all he could handle. Mauricio threw more shots and landed more punches and stymied the unbeaten Garcia. However, when the scores were announced the tally of 114-114,116-112, 116-112 gave Danny Garcia the win.
While the official victory was logged in for Garcia, Herrera returned to Riverside, California as a “People’s Champ” and fan favorite. And at 33 years young, Mauricio feels he is re-energized, remaining youthful and even stronger with his career reinvigorated.
Fans are clamoring for a Danny Garcia rematch but reports say the champ will move up in weight.
So the Herrera camp will keep on their toes–ready for more, ready for anybody. “All I needed was an opportunity,” he told me on Saturday night. “We really took advantage of it. We knew it was a world title fight and we took it seriously. We went hard and I knew my style would do the trick.”
Before the Garcia clash, Herrera had fought in the Thompson Boxing Promotions stable, while coming up with his stablemates (at the time) Josesito Lopez and Timothy Bradley. Back in 2011, he won the IBF North American welterweight belt against the battering ram known as Ruslan Provodnikov. Mauricio also went to war against Mike Alvarado, Karim Mayfield, Mookie Pendarvis, among others.
But it was this high-profile fight against Garcia that put his name in headlines with the boxing universe screaming: “Herrera was robbed!”
Mauricio said he knew he “puzzled and confused” Garcia during their scrap and he feels he proved his worth. He would like to face Lucas Matthysse or Adrien Broner in the future. But Matthysse is fighting John Molina Jr. on April 26 and Adrien Broner will face Carlos Molina on May 3 so Herrera will have to wait for those desired matches to materialize.
So has life changed for this fighter who turned pro in 2007?
The spotlight is brighter, the fan base larger and the media requests continue to stream in, but Mauricio (known as “Junior” to his family and friends) remains humble. I’ve known him for several years now and he has not changed. He works hard, trains hard. Herrera can sometimes seem quiet, appearing subdued in manner and is thoughtful in giving his answers. But off camera, he also has a quick sense of humor and a fun-loving side to his personality. And during his Puerto Rico fight, he showed the world his mental toughness and intestinal fortitude–and self confidence.
Perhaps Mauricio has been overlooked and underestimated by some, but now he wants to show the world who he is. For the hundreds of family members and friends at the Riverside fiesta, they have known all along that Herrera had the talent and toughness to not only survive in the sport but to also succeed. A late bloomer, maybe. But the family says the timing is just right.
The consensus at the homecoming party was that Mauricio clearly won the fight. And many of the guests I chatted with said the commentators, critics and announcers have also chimed in saying Herrera should’ve been awarded the victory. But that’s boxing. And those are the breaks that every underdog faces. And in the world of multi-millionaire sluggers and elite champions, Mauricio may continue to be pegged as an underdog. But he and his camp are ready for the elite, wanting to face the best of the best.
And at the outdoor gathering overlooking a sprawling golf course, the mood was a celebratory one.
Mauricio is their homegrown champ, who stood tall during the Garcia scrap and walked away with this huge moral booster.
On Saturday, Herrera and his wife Vanessa welcomed the invited guests into their home and patio where a spirited Mariachi band played. A mechanical bull, live DJ, taco bar and buffet made this the “Party of the Year.” Homemade signs and a Showtime Boxing banner adorned the walls with a fancy cake (made by his cousin Martha) awaiting the hero, who was swallowed up by the crowd. Also in attendance were father Mauricio Herrera Sr. and brother Alberto “Baby Dynamite” Herrera (who are in Junior’s corner), Mauricio’s mom, brothers and sisters (there are three boys and three girls in the family), his current trainer Willy Silva, his amateur trainer Rudy Garavito, along with tons of relatives. And the Herrera familia is a large one. The guests kept arriving as the music and celebration continued for Team Herrera.
The heartfelt congratulations poured throughout the day as his throng of supporters continued to say: “MAURICIO WON!”
There was also one other fighter at the fiesta, former pro boxer and uncrowned welterweight champ Armando Muniz. Mando is a neighbor of the Herreras and has watched Mauricio’s career through the years. “Mauricio did great,” Muniz nods. “And he WON that fight!”
“I’m grateful for all the support of everyone,” Mauricio said with a smile. “We have a really big family and this has reconnected a lot of us.”
Inside their home, the Garcia-Herrera bout was playing on the large flatscreen TV.
“How many times have you seen your fight?” I asked Mauricio.
“I’ve watched it about 15 times now,” he says with a laugh.
During a further conversation with the athlete, Herrera talked about what it was like to hear the boos in the coliseum stands, how he kept his cool, and what’s new for “El Maestro.”
Check out the VIDEO with Mauricio Herrera along with EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS from his “Welcome Home” event!
Video Interview:
Photos by Michele Chong
