GESTA WANTS TO RETURN HOME A WINNER
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 03 Jun 2010
If ever promising Filipino lightweight Mercito ?No Mercy? Gesta returns home to Cebu to visit his family, he wants to do so as a winner.
Gesta gets a chance to accomplish the first major step in his dream to eventually become a world champion when he faces power-punching Oscar ?Estudiante? Meza who has an impressive record of 17 knockouts in 19 wins with 3 defeats at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa, Florida on June 4.
They will face-off for the vacant WBO North American Boxing Organization title.
Gesta, an undefeated 22 year old southpaw with a record of 17-0 with 7 knockouts told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports in an overseas telephone conversation from Florida that he was not sure when he would visit but added ?I want to have a good win so it would be nice coming home with success.?
Gesta said he had no problem making the lightweight limit of 135 pounds and was in fact around two pounds under.
Gesta is not underestimating Meza at all pointing out that the Mexican has a good left hook and a right straight and ?his punches are strong.?
Knowing that his opponent is a big puncher Gesta who has studied some of Meza?s fight tapes said that ?in the early rounds I will not engage in close-in exchanges but size him up and test his power and then try to out-box him. But if there is a chance for a knockout, I will go for it.?
Gesta said he agreed with co-manager Vince Parra who will head his corner in the absence of regular trainer Carl Penalosa who had to return to Manila to attend to some issues concerning the renewal of his US visa, that he had ?the advantage in speed but you will only know once the fight begins.? Parra will be assisted in Gesta?s corner by longtime cut-man and friend Stephen Luna.
Like all fighters Gesta said ?my one dream is to become a world champion so people will know me and my family will be proud of me. Since I was a kid (in the city of Mandaue, Cebu) my father dreamed of my becoming a world champion.?
Gesta said he has trained long for the Meza fight because a previously scheduled bout had been called off and he only took a break of one week before getting back into the gym, first at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach in Los Angeles in April and then in San Diego where he lives.
Parra earlier told us he was pleased with Gesta?s preparation to move up a notch and face Meza and pointed out that Gesta was ?peaking at the right time. He is right on track and looking really good.?
Parra told us he has ?a good understanding of Mercito?s style and we will make sure not to change anything. He is a very well-schooled kid and all we ever do is push him to work hard and as a team we are real confident we are going to get through this and when things are worked out Carl will definitely be back.?
Asked what he believes Gesta has going for him against a puncher like Meza, Parra replied ? his boxing ability, his instincts and his hand-speed. He?s ready for this.?
Gesta is coming off an impressive eight round unanimous decision over the experienced Cristian Favela last February 25 in a rematch after Gesta won their first encounter in a shutout in 2008.
The Filipino also scored a big 1st round TKO over promising Alain Hernandez on May 21, 2009 and then came through with a 3rd round TKO over Devarise Crayton on July 10, 2009.
Meza has faced stiffer opposition and cannot be taken lightly as he has an impressive 5th round TKO over Jorge Urias last November 13 after scoring a majority decision over touted Jorge Paez Jr on September 27, 2008. However, he suffered a 5th round TKO to undefeated Brandon Rios on May 16, 2009.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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