Moments ago inside of the Holliday Inn in Torrance, California, the participants for this weekend?s Top Rank card from the Home Depot Center all weighed in. The Showtime-televised twin bill is headlined by a lightweight clash between WBA champion Brandon Rios and former title challenger Urbano Antillon with former title holder Kermit Cintron and Chicago?s Carlos Molina facing off in a junior middleweight duel.
Also in the house was budding lightweight prospect Mercito ?No Mercy? Gesta, the Filipino-born southpaw who is fast gaining buzz on the West Coast. Saturday night marks Gesta?s first fight under Top Rank Promotions as he will be squaring off with journeyman Jorge Pimentel. Gesta came in for the fight weighing 137 and Pimentel at 138 1/4 in what is likely a catch weight affair.
<--- Slideshow: Behind the scenes with Brandon Rios, Urbano Antillon, Mercito Gesta, Kermit Cintron and others Advertisement
The main event between Rios and Antillon has had its share of bad blood and things once again boiled over after each man made the lightweight limit of 135 pounds. Rios got in Antillon?s face and began taunting him and cursing at him, later pounding his chest to the crowd and even flipping off some of Antillon supporters in the building.
Saturday night can?t come soon enough for what is expected to be a fight-of-the-year type of showdown.
For images of all the fighters and a look behind the scenes please visit the slideshow on the left?
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at [email protected]
