On August 3, ESPN Friday Night Fights will feature two promising lightweight prospects in Ty Barnett (20-2-1, 13 KOs) and Filipino rising star Mercito Gesta (25-0-1, 13 KOs) at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Most Filipino boxing fans are familiar with Gesta and consider him as a potential successor to Manny Pacquiao as the best fighter from the Philippines, but hardly know who his upcoming opponent is. I caught up with Barnett for an exclusive interview recently to get to know more about him.
“I?ve been fighting since I was in 8th grade. This is some that?s been my passion. I love boxing. I fell in love with it when I was a kid. Becoming a pro fighter has always been my dream, and here I am today,” Barnett opened to this scribe.
Barnett is focused and working hard with his trainer Scott Buchanan, and is intent on beating Gesta convincingly. “I’m looking forward to going out and upsetting this guy in sensational fashion,” Barnett said, and added, “They’re hyping him up, but he?s overrated to me.”
Barnett continued criticizing Gesta’s credentials by questioning the level of opposition he has fought. “He hasn?t really fought nobody. If you go back to Box-Rec (boxrec.com) and check our records out, you could see that I?ve beaten the better opposition, and have been in there with tougher opposition,” added Barnett.
The 29-year-old Washington D.C.-native sent Gesta fair warning by stating that he is nothing like any opponent the Cebuano has fought before. “He?s been fighting nothing but Mexican guys. I?m going to give him a different look. I?m the first African-American he ever fought,” Barnett said.
And for those dubbing Gesta as “The Next”, Barnett wants them to throw those ideas to the garbage can as well. “Imma show these guys he?s no Manny Pacquiao, there?s only one Manny Pacquiao. I?m going to expose him and everything going to go out the window from there.”
