Mercito Gesta Takes Must-Win Over Jo Jo Diaz; Duarte Stops Martin Late
In a must-win situation for two fighters, Mercito Gesta (34-3-3, 17KO) gets the win against former junior lightweight champion Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz (32-4-1, 15KO). Gesta started at a furious pace early in the fight by providing movement and angles before throwing blistering punches against the slow-starting Diaz. As the fight continued, Diaz’s pressure forced the Filipino against ropes as he ripped off hard shots to the body, followed by a vicious left hooks to the head.
Down the stretch, both men fought hard as Gesta continued to fire off combination punches while Diaz marched forward, landing eye-catching body shots. When the final bell sounded, one judge saw it 97-93 for Diaz and two judges scored it 99-91 and 98-92 for Gesta. 3Kingsboxing.com saw it 96-94 for Gesta. Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya mentioned putting the winner up against rising prospect Floyd Schofield Jr on the undercard of Gervonta Davis -Ryan Garcia.
OSCAR DUARTE SCORES SENSATIONAL KNOCKOUT AGAINST ALEX MARTIN
In the lightweight division, hard-punching Oscar Duarte (25-1-1, 20KO) scored the late stoppage over Alex Martin (18-5, 6KO). This was a classic pressure fighter taking on a good boxer as the Mexican stalked the mobile Martin the entire fight with hard body shots and the left hook. Martin boxed well by pumping the jab and landing the straight left hand while maintaining distance. The middle rounds saw Duarte mixing up the attack and keeping Martin retreating against the ropes. In the eighth round, Duarte landed a debilitating right hook that froze Martin. Martin hit the canvas twice, forcing the referee to wave off the contest. This was a good victory for the young fighter. Big things are waiting down the line.
