Till this day, anytime a young guard who is above 6?6? with any semblance of ball-handling skills and leadership will invariably compared to Magic Johnson. For years, anytime a power-hitting outfielder who had any speed would be compared to Mickey Mantle. In Canada, they are always looking for the next Wayne Gretzky. And in the Philippines, from this point on, now and forever, any young fighter will inevitably be judged by the impossibly high standards set by one Manny Pacquiao.
And if you happen to be southpaw (which an inordinate amount of Filipinos are) and have even just a mild blend of speed and power, the question will be asked- is this the next ?Pac-Man??
Mercito Gesta, who faces Genaro Trazancos on Friday night from the Casino Del Sol in Tuscon, Arizona as the co-headliner of ?Solo Boxeo? on Telefutura, has heard it more than once.
“A lot of times,” said Gesta, last week, with a weary laugh, knowing that such comparisons are to be expected. “People, the fans, they ask me- especially Filipinos- they see me getting up there and winning fights.” Pacquiao isn?t just a fighter; the newly-minted congressman is a national and worldwide icon. “He means a lot; he opened the boxing world for us and in the Philippines he gave Filipino boxers more confidence in the fights and belief. If he does it, we think maybe we can do it too.”
Gesta, a lightweight, is left-handed.
“I don?t know why but all Filipino are like southpaws,” said the 18-0-1 (8) Gesta, who is exaggerating just slightly. “With me, I was a kid; my dad changed me- not because Pacquiao is like this; by then, he wasn?t famous- but it just happened.” For those who have not seen Gesta fight, he describes himself thusly, “My style is kinda like Manny?s style and Gerry Penalosa?s style; I try to adapt Gerry?s defensive style and try to get Pacquiao?s speed-style. So that?s my style.”
For a while, Gesta was tied to Pacquiao, his manager/co-trainer Vincent Parra told Maxboxing last week at the Wild Card Boxing Club (a gym made famous by Pacquiao?s presence), “He came here in 2006 with Michael Koncz and Manny and Top Rank to fight on Manny?s undercards. And he kinda got away from that for one reason or another to make his own name. He hears it all the time. At first, he would be a little put off by it because he?s very much a kid that doesn?t want to ride on anybody?s coattails. But I?ve told him to embrace it because of the fact that, hey, if this gets you opportunities because of what he?s done, then you embrace it. He?s more so embraced it instead of feeling he?s riding on his coattails.”
Like every boxer from Mexico will be measured by Julio Cesar Chavez, any Pinoy prizefighter will live in the shadow of Pacquiao.
“100-percent, yes; it?s not fair but he set the bar,” stated one Freddie Roach, who has a unique perspective on this issue being the man who has trained Pacquiao throughout his meteoric rise from a small, unknown little prizefighter from Asia into a global figure.
And Roach always gets offers from various managers and promoters claiming that they have ?the next Manny Pacquiao.?
“Many times and I?ve heard that about Gesta too,” said the respected trainer. “Gesta?s actually a good prospect. I had a talk with him and his people; he doesn?t really take advantage of the southpaw stance. He doesn?t really understand the footwork involved like Manny does. It took a long time for Manny to understand it. I just told Gesta, ?You?d make things a lot easier if you put your feet in the right position against a right-hander.? Because southpaws do have advantages because, again, righties, we face southpaws very seldom- they fight right-handers all the time. So they have an advantage if they put themselves in the right position and he?s really not doing that. He?s just going with his raw talent right now.
“I think he?s made improvements. He asked me if I?d help him, so I told him, ?Yeah, no problem; whenever you want to come.? The adjustments are very simple; he just has to make them.”
The 22-year-old Filipino who now resides in San Diego is Pacquiao-esque. He has pretty good pop in both mitts and he throws some impressive looking combinations. While he doesn?t have Pacquiao?s pure speed, he does have good natural strength. He?s such a facsimile of Pacquiao, that representatives of Antonio Margarito (who is slated to face Pacquiao in mid-November) made overtures to have Gesta serve as their main sparring partner (Which was summarily denied. Gesta and his people looked at accepting that offer as an act of treason and, besides, who wants to be hated by their own country?)
But the truth of the matter is this, Pacquiaos aren?t a dime-a-dozen.
Roach says matter-of-factly, “We?re not going to see another Manny Pacquiao in our lifetime. At least that?s my thought on it. Because guys like him come around once-in-a-lifetime. What he?s obtained, seven world titles, of course, but I saw the talent right away. He had special talent, unbelievable balance, footwork. He?s so capable.”
But what really separates the good fighter from the great fighters is often an intangible that can?t be measured or taught.
“People say, ?Freddie, you?re so smart in the corner.? I say, ?But yeah, I have a fighter who can do it,?” explained Roach. “That?s the important part. If I ask a journeyman to do it, it looks so foreign to him; it would be- ?What?s Roach talking about?? But I get a guy who can actually do it. But that?s the thing, the talents in him.
“But again, once-in-a-lifetime deal, Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao, Joe Frazier.”
The question is, just how quickly will Gesta be moved?
Parra says, “We get it all the time about that because of the thing about Bernabe Concepcion getting put in and blasted out by ?JuanMa? Lopez and with Marvin Sonsona getting put in and blasted out. I mean, everybody is going to have their doubts but I gotta be honest; everyday and even since the last fight we had in Florida (a fourth round TKO of Oscar Meza). The kid?s just a phenom and he?s got people shaking their heads and even the likes of Freddie Roach.
?We would not put this kid in with somebody we didn?t think we had a good chance against,? continued Parra. ?If there is someone that he matches up perfectly for, is tailor-made for him- it?s Michael Katsidis. We?ve put the kid to the test and I guess it?s just a matter of making his name and getting the right fights. He can fight Katsidis the next fight and I give him a better than fair chance of beating him. And not only beating him but beating him in spectacular fashion.”
Katsidis? Really?
“Right now, we?re ready for it,” insisted Gesta. “Some people say I?m not ready for it; I need some more fights but I look at it, his style; I sparred with him for a couple rounds and his style fits me. I think I?m ready for that one.”
That remains to be seen. But, for now, Gesta is just trying to be Gesta.
“Right now,” he says, “the focus is just being myself [and] try to make a name.”
BUZZKILL
Yes, the rumors are absolutely true; Rafael Marquez- who is slated to face Juan Manuel Lopez on September 18th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas- has suffered an injury to his right hand. But as of last night, the fight has not been postponed or canceled.
I was told by a source at Top Rank that his promoter, Fernando Beltran, and a doctor took a flight to Mexico City to see ?Rafa.? An announcement of some sort is expected to be released on Friday morning. Let?s cross our fingers; in a year filled with disappointments for boxing fans, this was a highly anticipated fight.
Speaking of Beltran, who is partners with Top Rank with most of his fighters, I?m hearing that there is some growing discontent between he and some of his clients, mainly Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Marquez (which may or may not be related to this latest situation) and even Fernando Montiel. This is a situation that will be worth keeping an eye on.
BUTE-PASCAL
While there is a lot of talk of a Montreal/Quebec showdown between Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal, in talking to a few folks close to that situation, I get the feeling that those involved want to let this fight marinate a bit and build this into a fight that resonates far beyond the borders of Canada.
Interbox, which handles the career of Bute (who faces Jesse Brinkley in mid-October), feels as though they can keep growing this event, given that Bute is a bona fide draw no matter who he faces. Meanwhile, I?m told that GYM (which promotes Pascal) would be much more amenable to a quicker path to Bute given their recent, sizable investment in Pascal at the beginning of this month.
But as of now, Bute, is THE draw in Montreal. As for Pascal, I can see the logic in building him up but the question is, can he get past Chad Dawson again?
FRIDAY FLURRIES
Manager Cameron Dunkin informed me that Steven Luevano, the former WBO featherweight titlist, has decided to retire. More on that next week but congrats to the native of La Puente on a productive career…Our very own Ernest Gabion broke the news on his Twitter page (@eaner0919) that Michael Franco, who was scheduled to headline on ?Solo Boxeo? this week, is out with a partially torn retina…Parra told me during their last day at the Wild Card that there is very good possibility that Gesta could come right back in September on Telefutura…Gary Shaw and Don King were at the HBO offices on Thursday trying to nail down the Tim Bradley-Devon Alexander fight…I can?t blame WBC welterweight titlist Andre Berto for not wanting to go to Turkey to face Selcuk Aydin. Based on the Jo Jo Dan fight, I?m not sure Sugar Ray Leonard could win a decision against any Ahmet Oner fighter in that country…Guillermo Rigondeaux makes his Top Rank debut this weekend on Fox Sports Espanol on ?Top Rank Live?…On Sept. 25th, WBC lightweight titlist Humberto Soto defends his crown versus Fidel Monterrosa Munoz from Chetumal, Mexico…Did anyone have a worse week than Roger Clemens?…Hey, can you believe the San Diego ?Super? Padres? I know I can?t (San Dieeegooo, Suuuuuuper Paaaadres, Wow!)…And as Padre fan, I just want to thank the McCourts and what they have done with the Dodgers?Seriously, ?Master Chef? on Fox is a solid show…This week?s edition of ?The Main Event? features IBF light heavyweight titlist Tavoris Cloud and HBO?s Jim Lampley…I can be reached at [email protected] and I tweet at www.twitter.com/stevemaxboxing. We also have a Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/MaxBoxing.
