The long wait is over. Undefeated Filipino lightweight sensation Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (21-0-1, 11 KOs) is slated to face off with former world title challenger Francisco Lorenzo (36-10, 10 KOs) of the Dominican Republic. While there is no official announcement from Top Rank, Gesta’s promotional outfit, this writer’s sources confirms that Lorenzo is indeed Gesta’s opponent come July 9th, 2011 at the Home Depot Center, Carson, California.
Gesta has been training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California in preparation for this fight. Word is that he has been sparring with WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan. Khan is also in training mode for his unification bout with IBF light welter king Zab Judah on July 23, 2011.
Mercito Gesta's (right) market value as a prizefighter will rise if he beats Lorenzo convincingly.
Lorenzo will be Gesta’s first assignment since signing with Top Rank earlier this year. Bob Arum is impressed with the Filipino’s career so far and believes that Gesta will be a future star of the sport.
But looking at Lorenzo’s record, one does need to be an analyst to realize what a victory could mean for the young Filipino. Lorenzo, who has been campaigning at light welterweight, will go south the scales to stop Gesta’s meteoric rise.Lorenzo has twice attempted to win a world title but fell short on both chances. He was decisioned by Humberto Soto in their WBC super featherweight title bout back in 2008. In 2009, Lorenzo lost on points to South Africa’s Mlungisi Dlamini for the WBF world lightweight title. Dlamini now also holds the IBF version of the title.
Aside from the names mentioned, Lorenzo has shared the ring with a string of impressive opponents, including former world champions Jorge Linares, Erik Morales, Cristobal Cruz, and Roman Martinez. Lorenzo lost to all fighters stated above but has never been stopped ever in his career.
Momentum wise, Gesta will be able to steamroll his way past Lorenzo, considering the Dominican lost six of his last 10 fights and he is nearing 40 years old. But Lorenzo might be able to give Gesta a tough time, with that strong chin and above average boxing skills (Lorenzo won 26 of his 36 bouts by decision).
On paper, this looks like an easy win for the Filipino lightweight. But with Lorenzo’s experience, ring guile, and the quality of his opponents, Gesta needs to bring it all come fight night.
Kenneth P. Ragpala is an award-winning sports blogger who has been covering the sport of boxing since 2008. His works have appeared in local newspapers in his home city in Cagayan de Oro and in several online publications abroad.
Ragpala has written for several boxing websites, namely Fight Hype, 8 Count News, and Bleacher Report.
mercito gesta is avoiding top mexican lightweights again. what is it with this overhyped fraud? fighting lorenzo does nothing for his career but shines it up a bit. wait until he fights someone like antonio demarco, daniel estrada, juan carlos salgado or any of the top mexican lightweights. he’ll be exposed just like the rest of these “next pacquiao” bums.
Filipinos have much greater talent compared to the names you have mentioned, aside from that none of the fighters mentioned can match the work ethic of a Filipino fighter. We simply are the best………
hey pacheco what is it with you with pinoy boxers to hate them so much, did they run off with your wife?
This fat fuck pacheco is just envy coz a lot of filipino boxers are moving up & whoopin on his fellow Mexican boxers. This fuckstick got nothing better to do than type behind his keyboard, masturbate & talk shit w/ no bite! Typical wetback!
As what i have observed, most of the mexican boxers are bums. It’s just happened that there are a lot of mexican boxers polluting the boxing world. Well, all your mentioned name are bums and not a battle tested fighters. If you observe, most of your champions were humiliated by our only two boxers, pacquiao and donaire. We have also the compassion to give you a chance in showing the world that you produce a lot of champions but ironically most of them are not class A champions. We don’t need to produce a lot of boxers because we are afraid that the there will be a massive rise of poverty in mexico, in which of your people are relying on this sport as a mean of living.
line up the mexican….. and he will execute them… like pacman did…
Mercito challenged Brandon Rios and Rios chose a different dance partner.
@Manuel Pacheco sir…De marco was exposed by our very own “NO MERCY GESTA” during their sparring session lol.. he got black eyed. Come on those who do not know Gesta personally will fool you because I know him personally where he came from , those above mention names is no were near to “NO MERCY” bravery and toughness. he will knocked you out either ways , kickboxing or boxing …
As he says he will walk his way up to have a chance and fights the big names ….
You better watch this dude Pacheco…Remember his name “NO MERCY GESTA”….
PEACE DUDE..
I do not think Mercito is in the position of choosing opponents at this time. He is not a prize fighter yet. He needs exposure and it is up to his promoter to find an opponents that is worth for the boxing aficionados to watch.
Coach Fredie Rioach himself talk right over his face (No Mercy GEsta) will become a world champion , right now he is training at Wild Card Gym under the watchful eyes of the two best trainers in the world Conditioning coach Alex Ariza and of course Coach Fredi Roach..The haters and envy individual will start talking sh!!!!T like PEDS,ETC…what a pathetic individual they can’t accept the fact that this is our era in boxing…
@ Manuel Pacheco, As what i have observed, most of the mexican boxers are bums. It’s just happened that there are a lot of mexican boxers polluting the boxing world. Well, all of your mentioned name are bums and not a battle tested fighters. If you observe, most of your champions were humiliated by our only two boxers, pacquiao and donaire. We have also the compassion to give you a chance in showing the world that you produce a lot of champions but ironically most of them are not class A champions. We don’t need to produce a lot of boxers because we are afraid that the there will be a massive rise of poverty in mexico, in which of your people are relying on this sport as a mean of living.
This is a test for No mercy Gesta, his opponent Lorenzo, had never been KO’, he lost with former/present world champions, and he is already 40 yrs old, maybe he had passed his prime. Lorenzo will try his best to survive and finish the fight, but his experience prevail he will wait for the mistake of the younger fighter and can pull for a win…Joe.
oh ma men pacheco! eat ma hotdog!
Senor Pacheco,
Please be advised what a small Filipino boxer did to that old myth that Mexican boxers are one of the best in the world. One lone Filipino who brutalized every damn Mexican champ and challenger, big and small. One small Filipino who totally exposed every Mexican boxer as second rate fighters. And one tiny Filipino who singlehandedly marginalized the whole country of Mexico as a producer of fine boxers. Mexico has over a hundred champs in it’s history in boxing and compared to the Philippines, there is no contest. Yet there is only one name the world will remember and that’s Manny Pacquiao.
Now there is more than one Filipino boxer fighting in Vegas and this fact is every Mexican’s “Nightmare on Elm Street”.
gesta should fight a top 15 lightweight before running his mouth about fighting brandon rios. before he does that. shut your mouth!
This is the way proper way you bring up a young fighter slowly and surely, expose him to all types of fighters and then up to the championship level, I agree with this match-up in his young career.
All the best Mercito, be patient train hard and learn your craft and before you know it your time come and you will be ready to take on the best in your division and earn that title shot.