Tag Archives: mercito

Posted on 06/13/2018

By: Ken Hissner

Oscar de La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions will be featuring what looks like a dynamite Main Event between Filipino southpaw Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta, 31-2-2 (17), out of San Diego, CA, and southpaw Robert “Tito” Manzanarez, 36-1 (29), out of Phoenix, AZ, for the vacant WBO NABO Lightweight title Thursday night on ESPN2 at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA.

Photo Credit: Mercito Gesta Twitter Account

Gesta is coming off his second attempt at a world title fight in January while Manzanarez is riding a fifteen bout winning streak after suffering his only loss back in 2012.

The co-feature will have a pair of L.A., CA, featherweights battling for the vacant NABF title. Mexican Edgar Valerio, 13-0 (8), will be taking on Manny “Chato” Robles, Jr., 15-0 (7), over 10 rounds. It will be the first 10 rounder for Robles.

There will be three other bouts on the card featuring Super Lightweight Luis Feliciano, 6-0 (3), out of Rancho Cucamonga, CA, taking on Danny Montoya, 11-6 (8), out of Reynosa, MEX, over 8 rounds. Montoya returning to the ring after a year absence.

Welterweight Herbert Acevedo, 14-2 (6), out of Oxnard, CA, takes on David “Terminator” Thomas, 6-2-1 (2), of Orange, TX, over 6 rounds.

Lightweight Daniel Perales, 10-12-1 (5), out of Monterrey, MEX, takes on Ricardo Alan Fernandez, 3-8-4 (0), of Chihuahua, MEX, over 6 rounds. Both are on losing streaks and need a win.

Posted on 05/30/2018

By: Sean Crose

“I actually started when I was fifteen,” says noted lightweight Mercito Gesta. “I went straight to pro.” That’s right, Gesta, a top contender, has been a consummate pro since the beginning. A native of San Diego, by way of the Philippines, Gesta certainly exudes professionalism while being interviewed. Polite and easy to speak with, the 31-2-2 fighter, who will be facing the formidable 36-1 Robert Manzanarez on June 14th in Vegas, is approaching his next bout with a kind of seriousness years in the business can develop. “Right now,” he says, “it’s just about focus.” He may have lost to the terrific Jorge Linares his last time out in January, but Gesta is far from feeling finished. The fighter simply believes he needs to “take it one fight at a time.”

Photo Credit: Mercito Gesta Twitter Account

“It feels really good,” Gesta says, “I’ve been training with Roach.” Roach, of course, is the famed Freddie Roach, trainer of another Filipino fighter, the iconic Manny Pacquiao. Gesta, however, has his own heights to attain. He may have lost his chance of winning the WBA world lightweight title against Linares, but Gesta is far from done hunting belts. “Yes,” he says, when I ask him if he’s still on a title quest. “Of course…I’m still here.” Still, Gesta doesn’t mind if “it takes a couple of more fights” for him to get a another crack at a championship.

Right now, Gesta’s attention is zeroed in on Manzanarez. “I can’t just overlook my next opponent,” he says. “I train very hard…every opponent’s different.” Manzanarez looks to be no exception. “I’ve been fighting taller fighters,” says Gesta. Manzanarez may be the same height as Gesta, but according to BoxRec, the man has a nearly 80% KO ratio. What’s more, the Phoenix native has stopped five of his last six opponents within the distance.

Should Gesta win and win impressively, the future may indeed look bright. Being part of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy stable might certainly prove helpful,as well. Gesta claims that membership in De La Hoya’s team “feels great,” and makes it clear De La Hoya himself carries respect. “He was once a fighter,” says Gesta. Such things matter when one is trying to reach the top of the rugged fight game. So does a company that has the pull to help one to the summit. “They are very accommodating,” Gesta says of the promotional outfit that represents him.

The main aim is to reward their faith in him.

Posted on 01/25/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night HBO’s Boxing After Dark kicks off the 2018 year for HBO with two world title fights on their network.

Lucas Matthysse will be facing off against Tewa Kiram for the vacant WBA “Regular” Welterweight title and Jorge Linares will face Mercito Gesta for Linares WBA Lightweight Title.

Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

This card will take place live at the Forum in Inglewood, California. The following is a preview of both world title bouts.

Jorge Linares (43-3) vs. Mercito Gesta (31-1-2); WBA Lightweight Title

The opening bout of the night will be between the very talented Jorge Linares and Mercito Gesta.

Linares hit a rough patch in his career in late 2011/early 2012 when he suffered back to back TKO defeats, but has one every fight since then and will be making his sixth defense of his WBA Lightweight Title.

Linares, at thirty two years old, is two years older than Gesta. He will also have a one inch height advantage and a one inch reach advantage.

Linares lives in Tokyo and had a successful amateur background in Venezuela before turning pro. Gesta was born in the Philippines and currently lives in San Diego. He does not have the national amateur accolades of Linares.

Linares has also been slightly more active than Gesta. Gesta fought twice in 2017 and did not fight in 2016. Linares fought twice in 2017 and once in 2016.

Linares’ biggest question mark is his chin. He has three losses by knockout and they were to Juan Carlos Salgado, Antonion DeMarco, and Sergio Thompson. He usually starts his fights off strong but fades towards the end.

He has defeated the likes of Luke Campbell, Rocky Juarez, Anthony Crolla, Ivan Cano, Kevin Mitchell, and Nihito Arakawa.

Gesta does not have the professional resume of Linares. His lone loss was the Miguel Vazquez in his only title shot. He has defeated the likes of Gilberto Gonzalez, Miguel Mendoza, and Ty Barnett.

Linares has good power in his hands and has stopped twenty seven of his opponents. Gesta only have seventeen stoppage victories to his credit.

If Gesta was known for his power he would be a live dog in this fight. However, Gesta is not known for his power and was defeated quite easily when he last faced an opponent on the level of Jorge Linares.

This will be the first fight for Linares on HBO in a long time, and it’s a fight that tailor made for him to look sensational in.

Lucas Matthysse (38-4) vs. Tew Kiram (38-0); WBA “Regular” Welterweight Title

The main event of the evening is between Lucas Matthysse and the relatively unknown Tew Kiram.

Matthysse is from Argentina and is in the middle of a fourteen year career. Kiram is twenty five years old and ten years younger than Matthysse. Kiram turned professional at the age of fifteen.

Matthysse had a successful amateur career and is a former Argentine National Champion and competed in several notable international tournaments. Kiram turned pro before most Americans can drive a car, but has never tasted defeat.

Matthysse has incredible power in his hands and has stopped thirty five of his opponents and has only been stopped once. Kiram has twenty eight stoppage victories and won four of his past five fights by KO or TKO.

Matthysse has not been very active and only fought once in 2017 and zero times in 2016. Kiram fought twice in 2017 and four times in 2016. However, every single fight of Kiram has taken place in Thailand.

Matthysse has defeated the likes of Emmanuel Taylor, Ruslan Provodnikov, Roberto Ortiz, John Molina Jr., Lamont Peterson, Mike Dallas Jr., Ajose Olusegun, and Humberto Soto. His losses were to Zab Judah, Devon Alexander, Danny Garcia, and Viktor Postol.

Kiram has no notable victories on his resume.

It’s hard to pick against Matthysse in this fight when so little is known about Kiram. Matthysse’s inactivity is of concern, but he’s facing an opponent who has never faced someone on his level.

Thai boxers can be surprising and are known for having incredible hearts. Kiram will need to display incredible heart and surprising talent to pull of the monumental upset.