After traveling north to the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, CA, for his two past training camps, unbeaten WBO Youth lightweight champion Mercito “No Mercy Gesta (19-0-1, 9KOs) decided to stay put and set up camp in his adoptive hometown of San Diego, CA. Gesta will be trading leather against his toughest test to date on his way to a title Ivan “Relampago” Valle (28-9-3, 24KOs) of Los Mochis, Mex, in the eight round main event of Spanish language Telefutura’s “Solo Boxeo Tecate” on Friday, October 22nd.
Despite the just turned twenty-three year old Gesta not visiting the west coast Mecca of boxing, the Cebu, Philippines native did find world class sparring in the Chula Vista gym where he toils his trade.
“I have been getting good sparring here in San Diego, I have been working with Antonio DeMarco,” Gesta explained. “Freddy Roach is not at the Wild Card so it would have been difficult to get sparring since he usually matches it up but DeMarco has been a lot of help.”
The southpaw DeMarco is the WBC’s #1 ranked lightweight who is preparing for his own bout on the under card of Juan Manuel Lopez-Rafael Marquez against an opponent to be named.
“He has been a lot of help despite that he is a southpaw like me,” Gesta said of the taller DeMarco. “He is taller like Valle and applies a lot of pressure. I don’t think it matters that he is a southpaw, we have a plan for Valle and we have to do it is change it a little bit.”
Besides DeMarco, “No Mercy” also has worked with local amateur standout, featherweight Aaron Garcia (9-1-2, 2KOs).
“Garcia is smaller so he has been helping me with speed and more movement,” Gesta stated. “He has been a lot of help too, like I said, great sparring here.”
The Gesta-Valle lightweight match up will be broadcast live from the 4 Points Sheraton Hotel in the San Diego suburb of Kearny Mesa. The fight card will be presented by Golden Boy Promotions with Don Chargin Promotions in association with Jorge Marron Productions.