MERCITO “No Mercy” Gesta of Mandaue City will fight Mexican Ricardo Dominguez at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 12 Saturday (Philippine Time), one day before the much anticipated Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez WBO welterweight title bout at the MGM Grand.
The southpaw Gesta (23W-0L-1D, 12 KOs) has won two straight bouts under the banner of Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions. Last July, he knocked out Jorge Pimentel in three rounds in California and then won a lopsided ten-round unanimous decision over Manuel Perez two months later in Arizona.
The 26 year old Dominguez (34W-7L-2D, 21 KOs) has experience on his side having fought for a world championship twice last year. He lost a 12-round unanimous decision to Humberto Soto in a WBC lightweight title bout and then lost another unanimous decision five months later in an IBF lightweight bout to Miguel Vasquez. In his last bout, Dominguez stopped Angel Martinez in three rounds last July.
The 24 year old Gesta is now based in San Diego, California and has won thirteen straight fights since moving to the United States in 2007. He is ranked as the number two contender in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight division and could be nearing a title shot. The WBO lightweight champion is Juan Manuel Marquez. /correspondent Redne bonsubre Jr.