PACQUIAO ? MARQUEZ IV UNDERCARD SHAPES UP
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 03 Nov 2012
Gesta with fans.
The undercard for Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV is shaping up and names are coming out for the HBO pay-per-view event on December 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Boxers who will slug it out in the supporting events of the main event of Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) and Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) are listed.
The undercard which will be covered by pay-per-view portion includes 2004 Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa (21-0, 16 KOs) of Cuba fighting super featherweight contender Miguel Beltran Jr. (27-2, 17 KOs) of Mexico. Beltran is coming off a split decision loss to Roman ?Rocky? Martinez on the Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. undercard last September 15. Gamboa?s last fight was a decision win over Daniel Ponce De Leon on September of last year.
Gamboa was scheduled to fight former WBA world lightweight champion Brandon Rios, but the Cuban pro failed to show up for the press conferences to promote the fight. Top Rank replaced him with Richard Abril who lost by a controversial decision to Rios in April this year.
IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez (32-3, 13 KOs) of Mexico will defend his title against undefeated Filipino Mercito ?No Mercy? Gesta (26-0-1, 14 KOs). Vazquez just won a split decision on Marvin Quintero last October 27. He is not noted for exciting bouts, but Vazquez is a domineering champion. While Gesta is passionate for a world title to add himself to the list of Filipino world champions. The Gesta vs. Vazquez championship fight will make it two Philippines versus Mexico title fights.
The other PPV card will be for the WBA world featherweight title match between two undefeated fighters Javier Fortuna (20-0, 15 KOs) and Patrick Hyland (27-0, 12 KOs). Fortuna of the Dominican Republic is fresh off his 2nd round TKO over former titlist Cristobal Cruz. Hyland is from Ireland and became the WBF world featherweight champion.
In a fight for the WBA-interim featherweight championship, Rick Reeno of Boxing Scene reported that the non-pay-per-view portion of the card includes undefeated welterweight contender Jessie Vargas (20-0, 9KOs) will see action. Vargas, from Los Angeles, California, is an undefeated Mexican-American welterweight boxer. Vargas is trained by Robert Alcazar and is signed to Top Rank.
Welterweight boxer Wale "Lucky Boy" Omotoso (23-0, 19KOs) will face Irving Garcia (17-8-3, 8KOs). Omotoso was originally from Nigeria but has been based in Australia for several years where he turned professional. In 2011, he signed with Top Rank and is now trained and managed by Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California. Garcia is a Puerto Rican fighter who has lost all his last five fights.
And super bantamweight prospect Dodie Boy Pe?alosa, Jr. (9-0, 9KOs) will be in action. The 22-year-old Cebuano is the son of former world champion Dodie Boy Pe?alosa and the nephew of former world champion Gerry Pe?alosa. This will be Pe?alosa Jr.?s first international fight. He was undefeated since turning professional two years ago in a Brian Viloria undercard in Manila, but he has yet to face an opponent with solid credentials.
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