PROMISING MERCITO GESTA SHOULD MAKE SHORT WORK OF FAVILA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 25 Feb 2010
Promising Filipino southpaw Mercito Gesta, a lightweight with loads of punching power and style, should make short work of Cristian Favela in a rematch at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in San Diego, California.
Gesta who is undefeated with a record of 16-0-1 with 7 knockouts, won a unanimous eight round decision over Favela in Tucson, Arizona on Novemner 7, 2008 and has since gone on a knockout spree including a 1st round TKO over touted Alain Hernandez at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego followed by 3rd round TKO over Devarise Crayton at the same venue on July 10, 2009.
Favela has had a run of seven straight losses, all by unanimous decisions, and the 30 year old shouldn’t prove to be a problem for Gesta who belonged to the Stonewall Boxing Club of American Terry Carter and partner Joy Ouano in Liloan Cebu.
Gesta was signed up by Michael Koncz, Manny Pacquiao’s adviser, and brought to the US where Koncz arranged some fights for him.
Favela also dropped a unanimous eight round decision to Filipino southpaw Czar Amonsot at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on February 2, 2006 before he went on a losing streak.
In his US debut Gesta scored a six round majority decision over Carlos Madrid at the AllState Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on August 4, 2007 before he registered a fourth round TKO victory over Carlos Vinan at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on October 4, 2007.
Koncz said that Gesta had three fights under him and “since they were small fights we didn’t take any percentage from the fighter at all.” Koncz said he told Gesta if he was unhappy in Los Angeles he could go “because I don’t want a boxer who is unhappy although I could always enforce my contract” which is apparently good for another year.
Kevin Riley of BleacherReport.com told us that when Gesta's long-time trainer Carl Penalosa decided to set up shop in a San Diego, Calif., gym back in 2007, Gesta joined the trainer he has known since he was 15-year-old kid back in Cebu. Riley said that San Diego has been a much better fit for Gesta and he is now signed up with Hall of Fame promoter Don Chargin.
Riley quoted Gesta as telling him in a telephone conversation that he likes San Diego way better than Los Angeles mentioning that he liked “the climate, the beaches, and also it's quiet. It's not crazy like Los Angeles."
We ourselves watched the video of Gesta celebratinh his 0:44 second KO of Alain Hernandez last May with a victory dance across the stage and as Riley reports the already electrified crowd at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, Calif., was sent into a frenzy upon witnessing "No Mercy" stomp across the ring in triumph.”
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach who told us some months ago that Gesta was a talented kid told Riley that he has “a lot of potential. He is one of the best Philippine prospects. I really feel that.”
When we asked Carl Penalosa recently in Las Vegas about Gesta he said the young prospect was coming along nicely. However, Koncz said when he was in LA Gesta was “lazy and was on the Internet and talking to the girls and not training. Maybe he’s found a girl in San Diego and settled down.”
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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