Posted by Neil Macasadia on Nov 28, 2012 in Mercito Gesta Articles
By Chino Trinidad Photo Credit: Jhay oh Otamias Source Doc: http://www.spin.ph/sports/boxing/news/win-or-lose-gesta-already-feels-like-a-winner-as-he-achieves-dream-to-bring-family-to-the-us UNDEFEATED Mercito Gesta has yet to climb the ring in Las Vegas, where he is set to gun for the IBF lightweight title in the main undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez IV on December 8 (December 9, Manila time). Yet the guy already feels like a winner. Reason: The entire Gesta family is now in the ‘land of milk and honey’ and living the American dream. Instead if surrrounding himself with close friends and hangers on, Mercito spent the advance he got from his fight purse and bought tickets for his parents Aniceto and Mercy and younger brother Dondon so they could join him in a winter resort at Big Bear, California, where he has been doing high-altitude training to improve his cardio endurance. Gesta’s father now serves as head trainer while his mother is Team Gesta’s nutritionist, who has been preparing what she calls ‘power juice’ from freshly squeezed pineapple, watermelon, apple, celery, and carrots for his son. While he still dreams of winning a world title, Mercito, who is 26-0 since turning pro in 2003, feels win or lose on December 8, he has already achieved his lifelong dream. “Pinangarap ko rin maging world champion. Pero ready ako ano man maging resulta ng laban ko sa December 8. Kasi whatever happens I have achieved my dream of bringing my family to the US of A. For me family always comes first,” Gesta told GMA News. Definitely life in the US is already a big improvement for the Gesta family, who no longer had to endure the mosquito- infested shanty they used to call home in Mandaue, Cebu. Thanks to a model of a son, who always put family first ahead of his boxing...
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Posted by Neil Macasadia on Nov 27, 2012 in Mercito Gesta Articles
By CHRIS ROBINSON Photo Credit: CHRIS ROBINSON Source Doc: http://www.examiner.com/article/photos-mercito-gesta-s-camp-rolls-on-sharp-sparring-with-rances-barthelemy Two weeks ago, I paid a visit to Mercito Gesta’s latest training camp, this one being staged inside of Abel Sanchez’s Summit Gym in the mountains of Big Bear, Calif. The 25-year old Gesta is eyeing the most daunting challenge of his nine-year professional career, as he will be looking to wrestle the IBF lightweight belt away from Miguel Vazquez when he meets the reigning champion inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on the undercard of the Dec. 8 Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez IV pay per view event. View slideshow: PHOTOS – Mercito Gesta’s Big Bear training camp rolls (Monday, Nov. 26) And while young and ambitious Joel Diaz Jr. (11-0, 10 KO’s), a junior lightweight prospect with plenty of aggression and upside, had the duty of going seven fast-paced rounds with Gesta on Nov. 12, Monday afternoon saw Rances Barthelemy in the spotlight, as the rangy Cuban put in six rounds of work. Towering a bit at 5’11” with a lean physique and awkward stance, Barthelemy (17-0, 11 KO’s) fits the stereotype of Vazquez far better than Diaz, yet the work was just as spirited despite being a little more tactical and less bruising than two weeks back. Prior to going rounds with Barthelemy, Gesta sized up former US Amateur featherweight champion Aaron Garcia (10-3-2, 2 KO’s) for two heats. All the while, Gesta’s trainer and co-manager Vince Parra, as well as his father Anecito, mother Mercy, and younger brother ‘Dondon’, watched on. ‘Dondon’ himself, an aspiring junior lightweight hopeful, later stepped in to test himself with Garcia for a pair of rounds. Originally from Mandaue City, Philippines, Gesta had seen his adopted hometown of San Diego host his previous training camps before the move to Big Bear. Judging by his demeanor today, Gesta has adapted well and there is a great sense of camaraderie coming from his team as he creeps closer to his dream opportunity. Expect more from Camp Gesta in the coming...
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Posted by Neil Macasadia on Nov 27, 2012 in Mercito Gesta Articles
By Ronnie Nathanielsz Photo Credit: Duenas Aris Source Doc: BoxingScene.com – http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=59782#ixzz2DQgZmKm2 Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta ( 26-0-1, 14 KO’s) who battles IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez (32-3, 13 KO’s) of Mexico on the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez IV showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 8 sparred eight rounds Monday and looks great. Gesta’s co-manager and trainer Vince Parra told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard from the Gesta training camp in Big Bear, California that the undefeated southpaw “ is doing great, he had a good sparring day, we are tapering down now and coming down the homestretch.” Gesta sparred a couple of rounds with regular sparring partner Aaron Garcia who Parra said has been “working well here and provides support for the conditioning and moving around to get the rounds” and six rounds with tough Cuban Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy who stands 5’11” and is undefeated with a record of 17-0 with 11 knockouts. The 25 year old Vazquez is 5’10” in height and had a three inch advantage over Gesta who is 5’7″. Parra told us the hard-hitting Gesta “looks good, is right there and we are just about following up on the plan and keeping the moves sharp and focusing on the weight now which is about 140-141. We are looking to leave camp on Saturday and hit Vegas on Monday afternoon and finish off at the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas. The trainer said Gesta is mentally and physically ready “more than I’ve ever seen him. He’s honed in and executing his game plan and he’s focused.” Parra conceded that Vasquez is no easy opponent but said “we’ve got a real good idea of how we want to execute and while he (Vazquez) is no pushover and since no one else wanted to fight him, that’s primarily why we wanted him.” According to the trainer Gesta will be “a lot more aggressive” in this fight although he made it clear “its going to be intelligent aggression. We are going to fight our fight, we are going to execute and control the ring and control the action. Obviously anything can happen but we have been here in the last four weeks and we are assured that gas will not be an issue so at every opportunity if we hit this guy and get him where we want him, at every opportunity we will jump on him and there will be a high volume of punches.” Gesta’s father Anecito who is assisting Parra in training Gesta while his mother also helps out with the cooking and provides the water and towel during breaks in sparring conceded that his son “is not yet in one hundred percent condition” but believes he’ll be ready by fight...
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Posted by Neil Macasadia on Nov 27, 2012 in Mercito Gesta Articles
By Rene Bonsubre Jr. Photo Credit: Duenas Aris Source Doc: Cebu Daily News – http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/313755/gesta-using-high-altitude-training-for-vasquez-fight Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta of Labogon, Mandaue City is less than two weeks away from his big moment under the spotlight when he gets to challenge IBF lightweight champion Miguel “Titere” Vazquez of Mexico on the undercard of the fourth fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and his Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 9 (December 9 Philippine Time). Gesta has been training at the high altitude training camp of Big Bear, California for a month now. This training facility is 7,000 feet above sea level and was the favorite training ground of legends like Oscar dela Hoya and Shane Mosley. Gesta is being trained by Vince Parra with the assistance of Gesta’s father Anecito. His brother, Anecito Jr otherwise known as Dondon and their mother, Mercedes are also in the U.S. to assist the Cebuano southpaw as he nears his coveted title shot. Dondon fought last year in GMA’s Buhay Boksingero but lost before the semi-finals. The 25 year-old Gesta (26W-0L-1D, 14 KOs) remained unbeaten when he stopped American Ty Barnett last August in nine rounds at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas. The 25 year-old Vasquez (32W-3L, 13 KOs) defended his title for the fourth time last October 27 by split twelve round decision over fellow Mexican Marvin Quintero in New York. He won the title in August 14, 2010 by beating South Korean Ji-Hoon Kim by unanimous decision. The Mexican champion enjoys at least a three inch height advantage over Gesta. Vasquez has lost only to quality fighters Saul Alvarez (twice) and Timothy Bradley who are now also world...
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Posted by Neil Macasadia on Nov 26, 2012 in Mercito Gesta Articles
By Ryan Songalia Photo Credit: Neil Macasadia Source Doc: http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/176107-gesta-relishes-title-opportunity-under-pacquiao-marquez-iv It has been almost six years to the day since Mercito Gesta, all warmed up and ready to go, was given the red light in the dressing room. His swing bout on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s third battle with Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas wouldn’t go on. There wouldn’t be enough time, event organizers told Gesta, leaving all of his training and preparation for naught. Now 25, Gesta will get a second chance to fight on a Pacquiao undercard on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as his Filipino compatriot faces arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time in a non-title bout. This time, Gesta won’t have to worry about being bumped off at the last minute; his fight will be the televised co-feature as he faces IBF lightweight titleholder Miguel Vazquez in his first world title opportunity. For Gesta, who lived in Pacquiao’s La Palazzo apartment in Los Angeles when he first came to America from Mandaue City, Philippines, the opportunity to be on the sport’s biggest stage is one he’s been waiting his whole life for. “To get here from where I’m from, it’s been a lot of sacrifices, a lot of work,” said Gesta (26-0-1, 14 knockouts), who now lives in San Diego. Gesta will be the first Filipino to fight for a world title on a Pacquiao undercard since Brian Viloria knocked out Eric Ortiz in one round to win the WBC junior flyweight title on the Pacquiao-Hector Velasquez card in 2005 that preceded the second Morales clash. For the past month, Gesta has been training for the first time at high elevation in Big Bear, Calif. Big Bear, which became popular as the headquarter training grounds of Oscar de la Hoya and Shane Mosley in the 1990s, has been frequented by Miguel Cotto and WBA middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin in recent months. The air is thin up there at around 7,000 feet above sea level, which Gesta hopes will improve his stamina in what might be his first time going the 12-round distance. There are also fewer distractions in Big Bear than back in San Diego, just his trainer/manager Vincent Parra, his sparring partners and his family, which includes his father Anecito, mother Mercy and older brother Dondon. Gesta’s mother has been helping him by preparing his vegetable juice from a juicing machine, but he hopes to eat some of her home-cooked meals afterwards. “It really helps my peace of mind, and I just feel like I’m at home,” said Gesta of having his family with him. “I don’t have to worry about what’s going on there with them in the Philippines, because I know what’s going on.” Parra, who has trained Gesta for nine fights of which seven have ended in knockout,...
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Posted by Neil Macasadia on Nov 20, 2012 in Mercito Gesta Articles
By Fightnews.com Photo Credit: bStunt Source Doc: http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/pacquiao-marquez-4-undercard-announced-150224 The undercard has been announced for the fourth installment of the legendary series between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8 on pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Cuba’s Guillermo Rigondeaux defends his super bantamweight title against Thailand’s Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym, Yuriorkis Gamboa faces Michael Farenas, Miguel Vazquez battles Mercito Gesta, and Javier Fortuna takes on Patrick Hyland. And featured is the pro debut of Jose...
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