Another Filipino boxer, Mercito Gesta, made a name for himself after his impressive performance at the Sin City, Las Vegas with his 9th round TKO against American boxer Ty Barnett.
The 24-year-old Mandaue City native started strong with his multiple and speedy combinations which connected right into the body and face of his opponent.
The bout between Mercito Gesta and Ty Bennet headlined the ESPN’s Friday Night Fights. The first two rounds were clearly won by Gesta but in the third round, the American started with a four punch combination and able to score against the Filipino.
During the fourth round an accidental heads occured which produce cuts between boxers. Gesta was able to control the fourth round although both boxers have their own combinations landed.
The fifth round also showed Gesta’s dominance against the American. He landed most of his shots which really hurts the American. The sixth and seventh round were also dominated by the undefeated Gesta and the American was in a defensive mode.
Gesta nearly put the American down during the eight round wherein he was trapped but he escaped. In the ninth round the Filipino finally landed 2 strong left hooks that dropped Barnett down but the referee Jay Nady only counted with just 8 and continued the fighting.
The final attack of Gesta landed with both hands and a vicious left hook got Barnett dropped again but the bell rang. The American beat the count but he was wobbly and dizzy so the referee decided to end the match.
The stoppage time was 2:59 of the ninth round. The Filipino boxer kept his clean record with 26 wins and 14 knockouts while Barnett dropped to 20-3-1 with his defeat.
