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GESTA THINKS LINARES IS NOT TAKING HIM SERIOUSLY BEING A HUGE UNDERDOG By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Sat, 27 Jan 2018  A special double main event will be contested in an explosive Golden Boy Promotions card that happen January 27 (Sunday Philippine time) at the "Fabulous" Forum in Inglewood, California. In the first part of this spectacular main event, former interim WBC super lightweight champion Lucas "La Maquina" Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) of Argentina will take on undefeated Thailand's superstar Tewa Kiram (38-0, 28 KOs) in a 12-round battle for the vacant WBA welterweight world championship. In the second main event, Jorge "El Nino De Oro" Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) will face Mercito "No Mercy" Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) in a 12-round defense of his WBA and Ring lightweight titles. * * * Mercito Gesta thinks that Jorge Linares is not taking him seriously. Gesta has heard the news Linares is planning a lightweight title unification fight against Mikey Garcia later this year. It?s as if, according to Gesta, that Linares thinks their fight Saturday night in Inglewood, California, won?t be difficult for him at all. Gesta is listed as 50-1 underdog by several Internet sports books entering their 12-round fight for Linares? WBA lightweight title at The Forum. * * * "I feel like that?s what it is,? Gesta told BoxingScene.com regarding Linares taking him lightly. ?He?s been talking already about a different opponent. If that?s the case, that?ll benefit me because he?s overlooking me. I don?t know about his training, if he is taking it serious, because I?m taking it serious. I?m the challenger and I want that belt so bad. I hope he?s ready, because I?m ready to give a war in the ring. I feel really amazing.? * * * During the pre-fight press conference Linares clarified he considers Gesta as a tough and dangerous fighter and he added he is not thinking of any other fight. "Thank you for this opportunity, Mercito Gesta. I'm ready. I'm here to give a good fight. I trained in Japan, and I trained here in the states. I'm not thinking about any other fight right now. Gesta is a tough fighter. He'a a quick southpaw who is dangerous. It's very important to be victorious this Saturday. Bigger and better things will come with a victory this Saturday," explained Linares. * * * Venezuela?s Linares floored England?s Luke Campbell in the second round of his last bout, but Campbell came back to scuffle Linares, who won a split decision September 23 at The Forum. Gesta lost a lopsided unanimous decision to Mexico?s Miguel Vazquez in his first world title fight in December 2012. The Filipino southpaw is considered an underdog now in his second title match, but this time he feels more prepared mentally and physically since he is no longer being dubbed as the successor to Manny Pacquiao. * * * ?I love to be the underdog,? Gesta said. ?I feel like there?s less pressure. The first time I fought for the title, even though I was the challenger, they were trying to make a lot of people think that, ?Oh, he?s gonna be the next Manny.? There was pressure from that because they wanted a lot from me, that I would do good in the ring against Vazquez. But this time around, I feel good. I?m the underdog. I don?t have to care about people thinking I can [be the next Pacquiao]. I?m doing this for myself. I feel great. Being the underdog, I feel good because there?s no pressure on me.? * * * Linares has won 12 straight fights since Thompson stopped him in the second round and Linares was not able ti continue due to a cut on his left eyelid last March 2012. His loss to Thompson was Linares? second successive TKO defeat. Previous to that fight, Mexico?s Antonio DeMarco stopped him in the 11th round. The 32-year-old Linares has recovered from his losses and became a classic lightweight boxer. ?Linares is a great fighter,? Roach said. ?He?s had a great career and so forth. For anyone to get a win over him, that?s a great, great achievement, because he is a very good fighter.? * * * But Roach is convinced Gesta can score an upset in a title fight that is considered as a mismatch. He thinks the U.S.-based southpaw will do much better than his first title shot. ?I know they gave Peter Nelson a bunch of sh*t about this fight,? Roach said, referring to the HBO boss who allowed the Linares-Gesta fight to occur. Roach told Nelson "We?re gonna save the day for you, because we?re gonna win this fight." * * * Mercito "No Mercy" Gesta is the former WBO NABO Youth lightweight champion. He won the title by defeating Mexican boxer Oscar Meza on June 4, 2010. He fought Miguel Vazquez on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV on December 8, 2012 for the IBF lightweight title. During the match, Gesta was outclassed by Vazquez and lost by unanimous decision, with the scores 119-109, 118-110, and 117-111. Gesta later won against Gilberto Josue Gonzalez (UD), Miguel Mendoza (UD), Luis Arceo (TKO7), and Edgar Riovalle (TKO8) and a split draw with Carlos Molina. * * * Former unified super middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward (32-0, 16 KOs) has posted interesting tweets and a grapevine circulated among boxing fans and media. The first tweet has Ward saying that he's getting heavier. "Weighed in last night at 199 lbs. All muscle I promise!! I been working," Ward stated. Later Ward again tweeted, "We're working on something special." The 33-year-old Ward retired from boxing last year, after stopping Sergey Kovalev in their June rematch, and vacated all his three light heavyweight titles. * * * Ward has always been very vocal that one of his biggest dreams was to imitate the achievement of his idol, Roy Jones Jr., who made the big jump from light heavyweight to capture a heavyweight world championship in 2003. Jones also weighed around 199-pounds when he fought John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title. Also prior to his retirement, Ward told HBO Sports' broadcast analyst Jim Lampley that he was considering a plan of movng up to heavyweight to fight IBF, IBO, WBA champion Anthony Joshua. * * * "A few weeks ago when we were working together in Carson, at the StubHub with the super flyweight tripleheader, he was the expert commentator on that [HBO] show. I was riding back and forth with him from our hotel to the arena, and he was telling me about of the fights that he would be interested in taking - and specifically telling me how he would beat Anthony Joshua in an adventure fight against a heavyweight," Lampley told BoxingScene.com. * * * After the KO win over Kovalev, Hunter disclosed the possibility of Ward heading up to cruiserweight is a waste of time and he would rather see his favorite boxer move directly to heavyweight to challenge Joshua. "I'm not playing, I am serious [about fighting Joshua]," said Hunter. "I believe he could outbox Anthony Joshua. It would be a waste of time to go to the cruisers [cruiserweights], we should go for it all." * * * Dean Lonergan, promoter for WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs), thinks the Australian fighter is one win away from earning the much aspired recognition as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. Horn is scheduled to make a title defense against mandatory challenger Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs). Top Rank boss Bob Arum is finalizing an April 14 fight at the Madison Square Garden. * * * ?This will be an absolutely massive fight night. Jeff Horn fighting against one the best fighters in the world?(Horn) fighting for his right to be recognised as not only one of the best fighters but the best fighter in the world," Lonergan said. ?If you beat the pound-for-pound fighter, what do you become? This is Jeff?s chance to stamp his authority on the welterweight division and it?s also his chance to make a statement to the entire boxing world, particularly to the American critics and the American boxing public. We are going to the home of boxing and this is about as big as it gets.?? Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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