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Top Rank lines up two fights for Gesta; Pinoy bet to face Perez in September


Top Rank has lined up two fights for Filipino lightweight prospect Mercito Gesta with the Mandaue City, Cebu-native staking his unbeaten record opposite American Manuel Perez next month. Top Rank matchmaker Brad Goodman is also looking to highlight Gesta in a Las Vegas fight on November 11—the night before Manny Pacquiao faces Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time—either at the Mandalay Bay or the MGM Grand Arena. First up for Gesta (22-0-1, 12 knockouts) is Perez (16-6-1, four KOs) of Denver, Colorado on September 17 at the BlueWater Resort & Casino in Parker, Arizona. The San Diego, California-based Gesta is currently on a 13-match winning streak while Perez is 2-2 in his last four fights. The 23-year-old Gesta is coming off five straight knockout wins and made his Top Rank debut last month with a third-round KO of Jorge Pimentel. Perez held current World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champ Brandon Rios to a draw in 2008, but suffered a seventh-round KO the following year in a rematch. The Gesta-Perez fight will be televised by Fox Sports in America on the Top Rank Live series. Gesta's manager/trainer Vincent Parra said that they are anticipating a big turnout from the San Diego area for next month's fight in Arizona, which will also feature local rising star Jose Benavidez, (12-0, 11 KOs). "That area is probably a three-hour drive from the eastern part of San Diego, which is where Mercito lives," said Parra. "[Parker, Arizona] where the fight will be held, is a vacation area, a lot of boating, jet-skiing, water-skiing goes on there. A lot of people from that part of San Diego go out there. There's going to be a pretty good caravan of people going out there to watch the fight." Gesta will promote the September 17 fight by throwing out the first pitch at the San Diego Padres' home game at Petco Field versus the Colorado Rockies on September 3, which is billed as Filipino Heritage Night. Goodman has also lined up a November fight for Gesta against former two-time lightweight title challenger Ricardo Dominguez (34-7-2, 21 KOs) of Tuscon, Arizona. Dominguez, 26, dropped a split-decision loss to Rios in 2008 and suffered decision losses to lightweight titlists Humberto Soto and Miguel Vazquez in two title challenges in 2010. — JVP, GMA News Ryan Songalia is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) and contributes to GMA News and the Filipino Reporter newspaper in New York City. He can be reached at ryan@ryansongalia.com. An archive of his work can be found at www.ryansongalia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryansongalia.

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