According to reports, Juan Manuel Marquez will fight an opponent yet to named on July 14th at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, USA.
If victorious in July, Team Marquez will likely look to set-up a bout with the winner of Manny Pacquiao vs Tim Bradley.
Last month, the Mexican fight legend appeared to be on a collision course with Brandon Rios as both men were showcased on the same, high-profile fight card. However, according to BoxingScene.com, Team Marquez will bypass Rios for Brandon’s lack of discipline citing his failure to make weight in two most recent fights.
In addition, some have surmised Rios’ marketability and reputation have taken a bad hit since his highly controversial win last month over Richard Abril.
Although Marquez vs Rios will undoubtedly be put on hold, Juan Manuel Marquez still has many options should he wish to accept a high-profile ‘tune-up’ bout prior to fighting the winner of Pacquiao vs Bradley. Potential opponents include Zab Judah, Mike Alvarado, Erik Morales and a young, untested, unbeaten Filipino named Mercito Gesta.
Juan Manuel Marquez vs Erik Morales? Despite their proximity in size and age, longtime Mexican superstars Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales have never crossed paths so Marquez vs Morales, for many, would be nothing short of a ‘dream match.’ In addition Marquez vs Morales would likely generate more revenue than Juan Manuel Marquez vs Judah, Alvarado or Gesta. However, Team Marquez is purportedly setting its sites on Mercito Gesta.
Why Mercito Gesta? Perhaps the Mexican’s long-standing rivalry with Manny Pacquiao, the fighting pride of the Philippines, presents an incentive for Marquez as the 24 year old Mercito Gesta is Filipino as well. After three blistering bouts with Manny Pacquiao, Filipinos are very familiar with Juan Manuel Marquez so Gesta’s heritage may add to the interest and intrigue of a potential Marquez vs Gesta bout.
Could this possibly be the start of a Mexican-Filipino rivalry in boxing?
In addition, Marquez vs Gesta makes sense stylistically. Gesta, like Pacquiao, is a southpaw so it would be wise for Marquez to fight a southpaw in his preparatory bout for Manny Pacquiao, should PacMan defeat Bradley next month. However, unlike Juan Manuel’s fellow countryman, Erik Morales, Gesta is an unbeaten young lion who might conceivably present a greater risk.
Who is Mercito Gesta? Gesta was born in Cebu, Philippines and entered combat sports as a kickboxer and martial artist under the tutelage of his father who was a pro Muay Thai and MMA fighter and former amateur boxer. After several years of training, it was Mercito’s father who, purportedly, believed his son’s skills were better suited to boxing and transformed him from a martial artist to a pugilist at the tender age of 15. Remarkably, Mercito Gesta turned pro a week after his 16th birthday and without any amateur fights.
Today, the 5’7″ Gesta is 25-0-1 with 13 knockouts and 12-0 as a jr welterweight. The only blemish on his record is a draw in his tenth professional bout against Rey Llagas (then 58-28-2), a veteran of 88 professional fights at the time.
In his most recent outing, on the Marquez-Rios headliner April 14th, Gesta stopped Oscar Cuero. Living up to his moniker, “No Mercy,” Mercito Gesta pounced on his hurt opponent, flooring him twice ? in the seventh and eighth rounds. Unable to absorb Gesta’s hard body shots, the end came at the 1:38 mark of Round 8.
Gesta, who’s ranked No. 23 by BoxRec in the jr welterweight division, has knocked out 10 of his last 14 opponents and insists he’s ready to step up in competition.
Will it be Marquez vs Gesta on July 14th? If so, the bout may be more than just just a ‘tune-up’ for Mr. Marquez.
