Gesta fights Barnett today on ESPN card

Undefeated Cebuano lightweight contender Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (25-0, 13 KOs) will take on trash-talking American Ty Barnett (20-2-1, 13 KOs) today in the main event of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After weeks of receiving stinging criticisms from his American foe, Gesta still chose to be silent saying he will just let his fists do the talking inside the ring. But his father, Anecito, who also acts as his trainer, took his son’s place in the sabre rattling.

Anecito said his son will silence Barnett in five rounds. “Mercito is very determined to knock him out (Barnett). I think he will be silenced within five rounds,” declared a confident Anecito.

According to Anecito, Barnett’s trash-talking only motivated his son the more. “He wants to prove that in boxing, its your fists that will give you the victory and not your foul mouth,” the father said in Cebuano.

During the lead up to this fight, Barnett labeled the Cebuano southpaw as “overrated.”

During yesterday’s weigh-in, Gesta came in at 137lbs while Barnett tipped the scales at 135.5lbs to make the 10-round, non-title encounter a go.

If Gesta wins this bout, he will inch even closer to a world title shot.

“He is very ready for this fight. We trained hard for months here in San Diego and I am confident that my son will come out victorious,” said Anecito.

The 24 year old Gesta will make his fifth appearance in a card promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions. He won his last fight via 8th-round TKO against Colombia’s Oscar Cuero last April at the Mandalay Bay also in Las Vegas.

The 29 year-old Barnett on the other hand, beat Robert DaLuz of Rhode Island by seventh round TKO in his last fight.

The recently retired and former three division world champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley will be one of the television commentators for this fight card billed as “The Future is Now.” /CORRESPONDENTS DALE G. ROSAL AND RENE BONSUBRE JR