Lackluster Gesta, lion-hearted Fareñas falter
LAS VEGAS — Filipino fighters Mercito " No Nercy" Gesta and Michael Fareñas faltered in their respective world title bids on the undercard of the Pacquiao-Marqauez IV in Las Vegas yesterday.
Miguel Angel Vazquez retained his IBF world lightweight title with a one- sided unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Gesta.
Vazquez, of Guadalajara, Mexico, improved to 33-3 after a 12round fight in which he was never threatened.
Vazquez defended the title he first won in 2010 for the fifth time. He came out throwing punches from the opening bell, while Gesta looked to be testing the waters, the Filipino tossing very few punches in the first few rounds.
Vazquez seemed content to establish his left jab early while Gesta looked for the big knockout punch that never came.
When Gesta tried to move in and land big combinations Vazquez would then backpedal and counter with his right.
Gesta, who had been touted as the heir-apparent to Pacquiao, suffered the first loss of his career after 26 victories and one draw. This was the first time Gesta had been taken the distance in his three fights this year.
In the best fight of the night, a very game Fareñas put up a very brave stand before losing by unanimous decision to former featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, who rose from a ninth-round knockdown after scoring one each in the second and seventh to to clinch the WBA interim junior lightweight belt.
The victory had Gamboa ( 22- 0, 16 knockouts) in the ring for the first time since September of last year, when he decisioned current WBC featherweight beltholder Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Fareñas slipped to 344- 4, 26 KOs against Gamboa, whose rapperturned-promoter, 50 Cent descended into the ring from the scoreboard while attached to cables and rapping an original Hip Hop tune.
Gamboa floored Fareñas with a left hook in the second and a right hand in the seventh and looked to be closing the show behind a barrage of blows that staggered his rival before, himself, being dropped with a perfect left cross from Fareñas. —