4 Pinoys hope to share spotlight in undercard tiffs
WITH the entire sporting world glued on the fourth chapter of the storied rivalry between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, four Filipino boxers are set to bask in the spotlight when they take on separate foes today in the undercard.
Unbeaten Cebuano southpaw Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (26W-0L-1D, 14 KOs) will try to dethrone IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vasquez (32W-3L, 13 KOs) of Mexico in one of the televised undercards.
Gesta weighed 134 lbs while Vasquez stepped in at the division limit of 135 lbs. during yesterday’s official weigh-in
Mercito’s father, Anecito will be at his son’s side as he takes his first shot at a world title.
Michael Farenas (34W-3L-4D, 26 KOs) of Sorsogon weighed 130 lbs. for his WBA interim world superfeatherweight title battle against Yuriorkis Gamboa (21W-0L, 16 KOs) of Cuba who came in at the same weight. Farenas is the underdog against the unbeaten former Olympic gold medalist.
Dodie Boy Penalosa Jr. (9W-0L, 9 KOs) of Cebu City, was at 123.5 lbs. while his opponent, Jesus Lule Raya (6 W -4L, 1 KO) of Fort Myers, Fl. was at 124 lbs. for their non-title bout.
The fourth Pinoy fighter on the undercard is Ernie Sanchez of General Santos City who weighed 127 lbs. for his eight round superfeatherweight fight against Coy Evans of Philadelphia who came in at 126.5 lbs.
For the main event, Pacquiao tipped the scales at the division limit of 147 lbs while Marquez was a lean 143 lbs. They will fight not just for the ceremonial title of “WBO Champion of the Decade” but to put to rest the nagging question of who really among them is the better fighter. /Correspondent Rene Bonsubre Jr.
