By Steve Kim

It's a pivotal fight for welterweight Frankie Gomez, who faces the respected Mauricio Herrera this Saturday night from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez-Amir Khan HBO pay-per-view undercard. In the past 'the Pitbull' from East L.A. has battled disciplined issues which have hampered his progress as a fighter.

But according to his trainer, Freddie Roach, those issues are non-existent heading into this contest.

"Frankie Gomez is in the best shape I've ever seen, he was in shape a month before this fight. He really got the picture, it took awhile but he's finally there. He told me,'Freddie, I'm not going to blow up between fights any more.' He said it was a waste of time and a waste of his career. So he sees the light," said Roach this past weekend from his Wild Card Boxing Club.

This fight has a weight limit of 146-pounds.

Roach is so pleased with what he's seen from the undefeated Gomez (20-0, 12 KO's) that he gave him the weekend off.

"He boxed very well( on Thursday) so I cut sparring out his last day on Monday. There was no sense in doing it."

Gomez was last in the ring in February when he won a ten round unanimous decision over Silverio Ortiz, while Herrera won a five round technical decision over Hank Lundy in July of last year.

Steve Kim is the news editor for krikya360.com