Posts made in April, 2014

Back in the saddle, Mercito Gesta is raring to go

Posted by Neil Macasadia on Apr 11, 2014 in Mercito Gesta Articles

Article Credit By:  James Wyatt  (San Diego Boxing Examiner) Article URL and Credit:  http://www.examiner.com/article/back-the-saddle-mercito-gesta-is-raring-to-go Thursday, April 10th, at 2:00 p.m. the 14 boxers scheduled to fight on the Friday, April 11, 2014 Boxing Card at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the latest installment of “Ringside at Del Mar”, will weigh in at the Plaza Bonita Mall at O’s American Kitchen (east side of mall), 3030 Plaza Bonita Rd., National City, CA 91950. Immediately following the weigh-ins, there will be a press conference plus a meet and greet session with the public. Why all the fanfare? It’s because of the gentleman in the Main Event, 26 year-old, southpaw, super lightweight Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta, who is making his return to the ring after a one year, four month and four day, soul searching layoff. His opponent, 27 year-old Edgar “Basuras” Riovalle of Mexico City, Mexico (37-17-2) with his awesome 26 KOs, better be ready. Of course he will. Riovalle has been a workhorse for 10 years and it’s likely he’s never considered taking time off. Just like his nickname indicates, “Basuras” translation “Trash” is a brawler who will go nonstop against Gesta. This past Saturday, Gesta, the show’s headliner, held a public workout at the family’s gym off Miramar Road, and also made guest appearances at a local USA Amateur Boxing show, the Filipino Sun Festival and at the popular Seafood City Supermarket in Chula Vista. Gesta is a hands on, meet and greet celebrity type who like Manny Pacquiao has a warm heart, a warrior who has been embraced by his Filipino brethren. So what did happen in Mercito Gesta’s last bout? Gesta fought Miguel Vazquez (34-3-0, 13 KOs), the elusive IBF World Lightweight Champion and lost decidedly after he landed only 61 punches, connecting on just 18% of the punches thrown. With his opponent landing three times as many punches, the judges had him winning most every round. With Gesta’s face being splattered across six of the seven continents, the match being a pay-per-view televised world title bout on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV and having your boss, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, sitting right there at ringside, you knew something bad was going to happen. While watching on TV, you could almost read Arum’s mind, ‘Note to self, tomorrow, first thing, we rip up this kid’s contract.” This is when the riffraff of sports journalism, self included, revisit the earlier Arum prophecies, boasts and expose them for what they are – pure, unadulterated bunk, nonsense. “I want this kid to fight for a title, maybe before year’s end,” a glowing Bob Arum said in the ring after Gesta’s first bout under the new promotional contract. “I don’t want to be too ethnic but he’s the next (Manny) Pacquiao.” Arum would make similar remarks at each post fight press conference and Gesta would...