Gesta Goes with Top Rank

Gesta Goes with Top Rank

By Ryan Maquiñana, MaxBoxing (May 26, 2011) Special to Doghouse Boxing (Photo © Laura De La Torre)

WBO number two lightweight Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta has signed with Top Rank, according to promoter Bob Arum.

“Yes, we’ve signed [Gesta],” said Arum by telephone this afternoon. “His first fight with us will be on July 9. As far as who he’s fighting, that will be up to the matchmakers.”

According to Gesta and his manager/trainer Vince Parra, Arum invited them to his Beverly Hills home last Tuesday to discuss the details of the contract, which was reportedly for four years. Parra especially emphasized Arum’s transparency during negotiations as a key factor in the decision.

“I’m very happy with the deal,” said Gesta, 21-0-1 (11), an intriguing southpaw with a blend of power and speed. “I was happy to meet with Bob Arum at his house and I’m excited to be with Top Rank now.”

The news is a blow to Golden Boy, who had been the favorite to sign the free agent after his contract with Golden Boy consultant Don Chargin had recently run its course. The Los Angeles-based promoter has whiffed on their second Filipino star in as many tries, as their attempt to sign bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire away from Top Rank has now ended up in court.

“Look, Golden Boy did a great job putting Mercito on his shows but we thought that with Nonito not signing with Golden Boy that it would make them love us even more,” said Parra. “But there were a couple breaking points. First, I’d say the amount of money between the two deals was minuscule but Golden Boy wouldn’t budge. In fact, I didn’t give Golden Boy the first shot; I gave them the first and second shot to sign us.

“Second, I think the biggest thing was that Bob personally invited us to his house, while [Golden Boy CEO] Richard Schaefer wouldn’t even talk to us during the whole process. They wouldn’t even let us speak to [chief matchmaker] Eric Gomez, so I think that told us where we stood with them.”

As stated above, Gesta’s first fight under the Top Rank banner will be July 9 at the Home Depot Center in Carson on the undercard of Brandon Rios’s first lightweight title defense against Urbano Antillon. The San Diego resident via Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines, has knocked out his last four opponents and six of seven.

With Juan Manuel Marquez abdicating his WBO lightweight belt to fight Manny Pacquiao in November and the heir apparent, interim titleholder Robert Guerrero, looking to challenge Amir Khan for his WBA light welterweight title in July, the road might be paved for Gesta and Top Rank to make a play for a championship run in the near future.

“Mercito’s happy to get in with anybody, whether it’s [IBF lightweight titlist Miguel] Vazquez, Brandon Rios, or whoever they’ve got,” said Parra. “We’re ready for a title shot by the end of the year. Golden Boy didn’t feel like we were worth very much, so Mercito wants to show the world otherwise.”

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For the full-length feature I wrote on Mercito last February before he stopped Genaro Trazancos by third-round TKO in San Francisco, please click the following link: http://www.maxboxing.com/news/promo-lead/mercito-gesta-brings-no-mercy-to-san-francisco

Ryan can be reached at rmaquinana@gmail.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/rmaq28 on Twitter at twitter.com/rmaq28.

* Special Thanks To MaxBoxing.