Unbeaten fighters Randy Caballero and Frankie Gomez make weight for Indio card

Southland fighters Randy Caballero and Frankie Gomez both stepped on the scale Thursday and met their respective weight limits. For both, that may be the most difficult part of their upcoming fights.

Their bouts are Friday night at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, but now the hard work is over.

The unbeaten Caballero, a 25-year-old from Indio, vacated his International Boxing Federation bantamweight title in November when he weighed in at a staggering 5 1/2 pounds over the 118 limit and his fight against Lee Haskins was canceled.

East Los Angeles’ Gomez (19-0) beat that in May when he was 6 1/2 pounds overweight, scrapping an HBO date against Humberto Soto, then coming in three pounds overweight for a lesser October bout at Fantasy Springs.

On Thursday, with the leeway of the catch-weight limits, Gomez met the 145 pounds, and Caballero came in at 124.

What’s happened in their recent past?

“If I could give you a straight answer, I would,” Caballero told The Times in a telephone conversation this week. “I honestly do not know what happened [in November]. I went to the doctor afterward. Those doctors don’t have an answer.”

He swears he doesn’t believe the electronic scale he used the night before the weigh-in was flawed.

“I trained so hard and what I jeopardized by losing that fight … this is my living, what I love doing,” Caballero said. “I put a roof over my family’s head and put food on their table with this. I would not jeopardize my career [to eat or drink]. I traveled the world to win a world title. It was not easy. To lose it like that is the one way I would never want to lose it.

“I went to bed at 119 knowing I’d wake up at 118. I wasn’t out drinking or anything. To wake up at 123 1/2, it was tough for me. I still said I wouldn’t give up, I tried to run and get down. I worked out hard and wasn’t sweating. My body just died out on me, like the way I had felt before at 118. I had no energy. I went to the sauna in the plastic [suit], tried to chew gum and sweat. Was in there for two hours. Nothing whatsoever. Was it my body telling me I can’t make 118 anymore?”

Caballero (22-0, 13 knockouts) listened, and he moved up for Friday’s bout against Mexico’s Ruben Garcia (15-1-1, six KOs). The Golden Boy Promotions card will be televised on Estrella TV.

“I don’t know who [Garcia] is,” Caballero said. “I’ve been out of the ring so long [since October 2014] I don’t care who they put in front of me. I’m just ready to get back, put on a great show and show everyone I’m still here.”

Both Caballero and Gomez have visions of a world title.

Gomez (19-0, 13 KOs) turned 24 Thursday and said his maturity has helped him to set aside his admitted missteps with drinking beer, eating and hanging with the wrong crowd.

He fights Silverio Ortiz (34-16) Friday and says he’s aiming to stay busy against “a tough durable guy who comes forward” and show off developments under trainer Freddie Roach that he says will prove “I’m a boxer, too, not just a brawler.”

“I’m just trying to step it up already. It’s time to quit the games and get to work,” Gomez said. “If everything goes good in this fight, I’ll stay active and work to a bigger fight.”

Roach said Gomez is best served to get back to 140 pounds.

“He can be a world champion … as good as he wants to be,” Roach said. “Frankie’s a talented kid with great energy and amateur pedigree. He’s trained with [Manny] Pacquiao, [Miguel] Cotto and done well.

“His speed and strength is best at 140. He’s a little too small for 147 right now [because] he hasn’t really gained that man strength yet. Making the weight might be a bit of a struggle, but it’s not dangerous. He can do it with a little more discipline.”

Friday’s first bout begins at 5:30 p.m., and tickets are $45 to $75.