MERCITO Gesta is set to impress Bob Arum in his debut as a Top Rank fighter this Sunday at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California against Mexican Jorge Pimentel.
Gesta, a former kick-boxer from Cebu, had a great training camp at the Wild Card Gym in preparation for his fight with the help of some of the key members of fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao?s team, Freddie Roach and sparring partner, World Boxing Association light welterweight king Amir Khan.
?Everybody says they?ve been sparring together and Gesta has more than held his own against Khan,? Arum told ABS-CBN.
Khan, 24, has been a regular sparring mate of Pacquiao and has been an essential piece in the 32-year-old pound-for-pound king?s preparation for his fights.
?Maganda ang pinakita ko sa ring,? said the unbeaten Gesta, 21-0-1 with 11 knockouts.
The 23-year-old Mandaue City fighter has had an impressive run in his campaign in the US, and that has caught the attention of Top Rank which inked him this year with a multi-fight deal.
He has won all of his 11 fights in the US, eight by knockouts.
The 31-year-old Pimentel, on the other hand, is a veteran fighter who once held the World Boxing Council Fecombox light welterweight crown. He has a 23-11 slate with 17 knockouts.
He has fought the likes of undefeated prospects Alberto Mosquera and Eloy Perez. He has also fought the former world title challenger Ricardo Dominguez.
Gesta is fighting in the undercard of the world title bout between World Boxing Association lightweight champion Brandon Rios and Urbano Antillon. He hopes to fight the winner of the bout or International Boxing Federation lightweight titlist Miguel Vazquez before the end of the year.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 08, 2011.
