Three Pinoys to fight on eve of Pacquiao–Marquez battle

MERCITO “No Mercy” Gesta of Mandaue City (23W-0L-1D, 12KOs) and his Mexican opponent Ricardo Dominguez (34W-7L-2D, 21KOs) both weighed in at 136lb during yesterday’s official weigh-in at the Mandalay Bay Resorts Casino for their scheduled 10-round battle today.

This will be step up in the level of competition for the Cebuano southpaw as the more experienced Dominguez has challenged and lost twice for world titles last year.

Joining Gesta in the card are Juan Miguel Elorde (10W-0L, 4KOs) who is the grandson of the legendary Cebuano world champion, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde of Bogo, Cebu. Elorde will face unbeaten Jerry Guevara (6W-0L, 5KOs) of Texas. Guevara weighed in at 122lb while Elorde came a pound lighter.

The third Pinoy in the card is former OPBF superfeatherweight champion Allan Tañada of Zamboanga Sibugay, who weighed in at 130lbs while his opponent Juan Ruiz stepped the scales at 126lbs.

An interesting match-up in the card’s line-up is Las Vegas native Diego Magdaleno (129lbs) who will go up against former Manny Pacquiao opponent Emmanuel Lucero (130lbs) of Mexico in a super featherweight battle. Lucero lost to Pacquiao by third round knockout in 2003 when the Filipino boxing superstar was still IBF superbantamweight champion.

Two other Filipino boxers with plans to fight in Vegas, Lorenzo “Thunderbolt” Villanueva of the Braveheart Stable and Marco Demecillo Singwangcha of the RWS Gym of Cebu, were not able to make the trip to the United States. correspondent Rene Bonsubre Jr.