GESTA WILL POUNCE ON EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR A KNOCKOUT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 21 Nov 2012
Undefeated Filipino southpaw Mercito ?No Mercy? Gesta will pounce on every opportunity for a knockout when he battles IBF lightweight champion Roberto Vazquez on the undercard of Pacquiao - Marquez IV at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 9, Manila Time.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who gave Gesta the opportunity to fight for the world title said ?what he?s got to do is to stay on this guy and pressure him from beginning to end. That?s the only way he can beat somebody like that.?
Shortly afterwards the Manila Standard spoke to Gesta?s trainer and co-manager Vince Parra from his Big Bear training camp in California and Parra told us ?we plan on fighting three minutes of every round. We?re obviously looking for a knockout but that?s not first and foremost, just to win every round and dominate the fight and leave no questions to the judges if it makes it that far.?
Parra said ?if we see the opportunity then at every opportunity we will pounce and have the condition to do that, that?s why we are here (at Big Bear).?
The trainer who is assisted by Gesta?s father, a former Muay Thai champion Anecito Gesta said ?training is coming along great. He?s responding to the challenge and the elevation (of Big Bear). I couldn?t be happier. His weight is great, his endurance is great, he had great sparring partners and we couldn?t ask for better conditioning.?
The sparring partners are Rances ?Kid Blast? Barthelemy from Cuba who stands 5?11? and has a record of 17-0 with 11 knockouts alongside an opponent whom Parra described as ? a real tough welterweight from Tijuana, Mexico , Jorge Silva (19-2-2, 15 KO?s) and Aaron Garcia who has been working well here and provides support for the conditioning and moving around to get the rounds.?
Parra said that in the first week Gesta worked with Joel Diaz ?a real good lightweight prospect who helped with Mercito?s condition and he?s great.?
Gesta wants to make the Philippines proud and according to his trainer ?he?s put in 110 percent and he plans on coming in there and making things really difficult for Vazquez and there?ll be nowhere for him to hide.?
Parra said he is ?not concerned one bit about how Vazquez? training is going. I?m sure he?s preparing just as hard as we are so we are preparing for the best Miguel Vazquez. He?s gonna do what he?s gonna do and we?re gonna do what we?re gonna do. We are not downplaying Vazquez and we respect him until we get in that ring and Mercito is going to handle business.?
Mercito Gesta (R) with his manager Vince Parra at the Wildcard Gym.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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