Beyond Pacquiao, Donaire: Mercito No Mercy Gesta shines under ESPN kleig lights
By Michael Marley
Photo Credit: Mary Ann Lurie Owen
Doc Source: http://www.examiner.com/article/beyond-pacquiao-donaire-mercito-no-mercy-gesta-shines-under-espn-kleig-lights
LAS VEGAS–Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta stood under the bright lights of ESPN Friday night, by far the biggest platform of his budding professional fight career.
Some boxers fold up like cheap umbrellas in a windstorm when accorded such a great opportunity.
But the 24 year old from Mandaue City, Cebu, in the Philippines did not shrink from this broadcasting bonzana, this chance to show his ring skills to millions of viewers. Instead, showing a maturity belying his age, Gesta embraced it, no make that savored each and every moment during his ninth round stoppage of gamester Ty Barnett.
“I loved it,” Gesta said in his dressing room as future Hall Of Famer Sugar Shane Mosley stopped by with words of wisdom for the rising Pinoy star. “I wanted to dazzle the audience. I hope I did.”
FROM KEVIN DAVIS OF BOXING SOCIALIST:
“If Adrien Broner is looking for a challenge at 135 or 140lb, Mercito Gesta is more than willing to give him that challenge he is searching for. In a great display of speed, power and poise. Gesta destroyed Ty Barnett friday night. After hurting Barnett is the first round, Gesta didn’t go crazy. He kept his cool and took apart Barnett like a skilled veteran. This is the best Gesta I’ve seen to date, and it’s easy to say that he is getting better with each match, as he continues his quest for ring immortality.
“Gesta has called out all the top fighters in the boxing game, Brandon Rios, Juan Marquez, etc. He wants the big fights now, question is will one of these great fighters step in the ring with him to make a mega fight happen. Now raising his record to 26-0 with 14 by way of Knockout, the future is looking bright for the Pinoy.”
The Mosley-Gesta connection runs deep. Co-manager and trainer Vince Parra was a sparring partner for Mosley before one of the Oscar de la Hoya bouts. And Gesta enjoyed some expert tutelage from Shane himself during and after a brief sparring session they had a year or so ago at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym.
How good is Gesta? How much better can he be?
(Before I answer, I warn you that I am pro Gesta all the time as the lightweight contender’s adviser-attorney.)
I say this, Gesta has world championship ability and the proper mindset. He’s cocky but not arrogant and his training camp mixture of Parra and the fighter’s father, Anecito Gesta, is starting to meld and become fully cohesive.
His two trainers and Mercito are having fun while climbing the ladder of success. They all know there’s so much more to do, so much more to learn and to absorb. None of the three pretends to be a fistic know it all.
For my part, it’s a joy being around Gesta and watching how he is translating his basic athletic skills, despite a background as a youthful Muay Thai fighter and having virtually zero amateur boxing experience, into top level combat.
Make no mistake, the cement-chinned Barnett was a bridge fight for Gesta. There remains a gap, a somewhat wide one, between opposition like the Washington, DC, fighter and the guys currently holding world 135 pound title belts.
But Gesta will keep working, keep digging. For his next fight, Parra plans a full-scale training camp up at Big Bear Lake, the familiar training home away from home for Mosley, de la Hoya, Terrible Terry Norris, Robert Garcia and so many other champions over the years.
But, also do not be fooled by niggling criticisms.
Gesta is flexible, versatile and and a young man who knows he’s got mountains to climb, literally and figuratively in his profession.
Gesta showed a bag of tricks in hammering Barnett over nine rounds.
But he did not show all his tricks because he’s still a student.
“I gave Mercito an A minus on this fight,” Parra said. “He could’ve done more bodypunching and not taken a few solid shots. But we don’t expect Mercito to be perfect. He can improvise and his offense is varied. Barnett was a test for us, we know that. But greater tests lie ahead.”
In my view, the best is yet to come for Gesta. Let Pacquiao be the greatest, Gesta is content to be the latest.
If his hat size (ego) remains the same, the sky is the limit for No Mercy.
Meanwhile, there’s no law that says you can’t have fun while also climbing the ladder of success.
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