MERCITO GESTA GAMBLES IN SIN CITY
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 10 Nov 2011
Mercito Gesta and Team Gesta arrived yesterday afternoon in Sin City. They took an hour long flight from his base in San Diego, California to the city known as the Entertainment Capital of the World. No, he won't be on a vacation or a holiday here. He won't be here to enjoy the sights and sounds that it has to offer. He won't be here like most Filipinos all over the Continental USA and the homeland who will be here to watch Manny Pacquiao fight. Well, he is here for that too. He intends to watch Pacquiao battle Juan Manuel Marquez in their trilogy on Saturday at the MGM Grand. But only after he fights a battle of his own in the ring on the eve of Pacquiao- Marquez III.
"I'm ready for this fight. My camp in San Diego was good. I am just waiting for the weigh in and I just can't wait for the fight," an eager Gesta told me over the phone before leaving for Las Vegas. Gesta will be fighting a 10 round lightweight bout against a tough opponent in Ricardo Dominguez 34-7-2 (21 KOs) of Tucson, Arizona by way of Culiacan, Sinaloa Mexico. The match is contracted at the lightweight limit of 135 pounds and Gesta foresees no problems making it. He was 140 pounds last Tuesday when I spoke to him and he said he is on track to make weight in time for the weigh in today.
"I have no problems losing those 5 pounds. I still will hit the gym during fight week and maybe some sauna too. I see no problem not making it at 135," he said. Gesta intends to only focus on his conditioning this fight week as most of the sparring and ring work is done during camp. "I will just do some light workout and monitor my weight," he added.
The unbeaten Cebuano 23-0-1 (12 KOs) will co-headline a card on Friday evening with another undefeated fighter, Diego Magdaleno 20-0 (7 KOs) on a Top Rank promoted event at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Magdaleno is facing Emmanuel Lucero 26-7-1 (14 KOs) in a 10 round super featherweight match while Gesta will be facing Dominguez in a bout that is to be carried live nationwide via Fox Sports Network and delivered internationally by its sister networks and by Top Rank's partners. This will be Gesta's 2nd fight in less than two months, the last one was a 10 round UD victory over 16-6-1 Manuel Perez in Arizona last September 17. One that drew criticisms for a performance deemed as lackluster by some boxing scribes. Gesta's previous five fights before Perez all ended in spectacular knockouts and the bar was set high for the Mandaue City boxer on his first outing with Top Rank. But Perez isn't a push over and proved to be a tough, rugged opponent for Gesta. But it made him look vulnerable in the eyes of some observers. One that he intends to erase tomorrow night against a tougher, impressive-on-paper opponent in Dominguez.
"My opponent is a tough one. He is the toughest opponent I'll be facing so far compared to my other fights," Gesta admitted. One thing that Gesta hopes will make for a good and exciting fight for the fans that will watch him in the ring tomorrow night. "I need to show up and produce a good performance in this fight. I know he is tough and I don't know what will happen in the fight, but I really want a knockout," Gesta mentioned.
Dominguez's two most recent loses are from a title bouts with lightweight champs Humberto Soto and Miguel Vasquez last year. Both of which were decided by points. He also had previous loses from Zahir Raheem and Brandon Rios, two known standouts of the division. He won his two fights this year, the last one by a 3rd round TKO over previously unbeaten, Angel Martinez in Mexico last July. Dominguez at only 26 had already fought a total of 43 fights. Gesta knows Dominguez presents a good resume and reputation as a hard-nosed fighter and they have studied his tapes and is confident that the fight plan he and trainer Vince Parra came up with for the fight will prevail.
"This is Mercito's biggest test so far. Dominguez stands in the way of a title shot. Mercito is excited for this fight. Expect an intelligent and well executed fight from him," Parra told me. Vince Parra started as Gesta's co- manager and took over the reins of trainer for the Cebuano fighter from Carl Penalosa. "Carl is Mercito's original trainer and must get recognition for such," Parra reiterated. "If not for visa problems, Carl would be back with the team. But right now, we focus on dominating this fight," he added.
And dominate is what Gesta intends to do in the ring of the Mandalay Bay. Not only for the mostly Filipino crowd who are expected to be there to lend support to Gesta and two other Filipino fighters that will see action tomorrow night but also to prove to his critics wrong. "I am not mad. I just want to prove to them that what they wrote and think about me is wrong. I will prove in this fight. I will show in this fight and I will do better in this fight than my last one," Gesta declared. "It is okay," referring to the criticisms. "It's part of the game. It only pushes me in training even more."
Las Vegas attracts everybody to its arms by offering fun times. But Mercito Gesta is not here for pleasure. He is not here to be merry amidst the attractions this city has to offer. He has a job to do here like most fighters this fight week. A job he has been eager to perform for two months now. He also like others will come here to gamble. Others will gamble in the casinos with their money, Gesta will gamble in the squared ring with his unbeaten record on hand against a formidable foe. "He wants the knockout." Parra said of his ward. "He really wants to prove himself out there." he affirmed. And that is exactly what Mercito Gesta is here in Sin City for.
You can reach Rich Mazon at rrmaze24@aol.com for comments to this piece.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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