Gesta defeats Favela again
By Felipe Leon
With a packed house of over 1200 screaming boxing fans, Bobby D Presents in association with Jorge Marron Productions welcomed their 2010 boxing season last night with a five bout fight card billed as “Philippines vs. Mexico” at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Kearny Mesa, a suburb of San Diego, CA. In the main event, Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (17-0-1, 7KO) photocopied his performance of two years ago as he defeated Cristian Favela (17-25-6, 10KO) again by unanimous decision with scores of 80-72 three times in an eight round lightweight bout to keep his undefeated record intact.
Gesta, who fought twice last year, knocking out Alain Hernandez and Devarise Crayton, had not fought since last July while the never been knocked out Favela last fought a month ago when he dropped a six round decision to Hector Serrano.
Favela has faced a who’s who of upcoming prospects in the lightweight and super lightweight division such Luis Ramos, Danny Garcia and Vicente Escobedo.
Both fighters used the first round as one of study as they circled each other around the ring. The southpaw Gesta took the initiative when he trapped Favela against the red corner and landed a quick three-punch combination that landed easily. The veteran Favela was not impressed with Gesta’s quick hands attacked the body in hopes of slowing down the faster fighter. Gesta continued to attack in quick bursts while Favela intelligently clinched when Gesta got to close. In the second, Gesta pressed the gas and began to throw more punches in combination as he walked Favela against the ropes. Gesta’s defense was his offense, as he did not the Los Mochis fighter set up and wage an attack.
Favela developed a mouse under his left eye to start the third round but began to exchange more punches along with Gesta once he worked his way on the inside. Gesta seemed to want to end the night early with every punch thrown but Favela stood there with him with every punch although Gesta scored quicker and harder through out. The game Favela brought the fight to “No Mercy” in the fourth, as he was able to walk him back towards the ropes and score with wide punches to the body. With his back to the ropes, Gesta began to throw 5-6 uppercuts to the head of Favela finished with a right hook. Favela was able to walk thru the punches and kept pressuring Gesta to fight in the inside.
While Gesta tried to end it in the fifth with fast multi punch combinations, Favela picked his punches and was able to land a hard right hook to the cheek of Gesta which caught the Filipino’s attention at the half way mark of the round. Gesta swung for the fences near the end of the round with huge uppercuts that just missed their mark. While Gesta threw two and three punch combinations to start the sixth, Favela attacked consistently with a right hook to the body that found its mark more than once. The crafty Favela, with his face swelling by the second, always seemed to find himself inches away from danger as Gesta desperately looked for the knock out opening to appease the assembled crowd. As Gesta picked up the pace, Favela was right there with him landing hard punches to the body while Gesta unleashed quick upper cuts flurries with his back to the ropes.
Mercito welcomed Favela to the seventh round with a hard right hook that went around the high guard of “Filoso”. As Gesta began to land more punches more consistently, the tough as nails Favela asked for more and Mercito was only happy to oblige. After Gesta landed a straight stiff left, Favela shook his head and asked for another but Gesta kept his distance and decided to attack the body while his rival was trapped against the ropes.
The leather began to fly in the eighth as both fighters tried to show up the other but Gesta was still much quicker and landed the harder punches but Favela was not to be stopped and continued until the final bell.
“I fell good but he is really tough,” Gesta says chuckling immediately after the fight. “I am looking for knockout but it didn’t happen because he is tough.”
“I am little disappointed because I didn’t get the knockout,” Gesta added. “I wanted to be the first one because he has never been stopped. It didn’t happen, I didn’t knock him out, he’s tough.”
Orozco Passes First Test
National City, CA’s Antonio “Simple Man” Orozco (6-0, 5KO) had no trouble keeping his undefeated streak alive as he did quick work of his biggest test, at least on paper, Jaime Orrantia (11-27-5, 10KO) of Los Mochis, MX, in the third round of a scheduled jr. welterweight six.
The difference in skill and speed was evident from the get go as Orozco was able to land punches almost at will as he scored easily with double left hooks to the head followed with even quicker upper cuts from the same fist. Orrantia was able to slow down the attack somewhat with his own set of hooks but Orozco counter punched those with quick jabs followed with stiff rights. In the second Orozco brought out the heavy artillery as he showcased the left hook again, in its head and body variety, and landed his favorite punch with demolishing effects. Orrantia’s face began to show the wear and tear of the onslaught and near the end of the round Orozco landed a devastating left hook that wobbled Orrantia. As Orozco went back to work in the beginning of the third, it only took 47 seconds for Orrantia’s corner to see that their man had no tools to be able to deter, slow down or stop the “Simple Man”.
“I felt good in there, I had fun,” Orozco stated after the bout. “Establishing the jab and my uppercut as he was walking in was my game plan. We worked on that in training.”
Armenta Spoils Gutierrez’s Night
San Diego’s Pablo “Bronco” Armenta (1-0-1) spoiled Ricky Gutierrez (0-1) of San Marcos, CA’s pro debut in what turned out to be the best fight of the night in a four round super featherweight war.
The action began fast and furious as Gutierrez scored a quick knockdown with a left hard hook to the chin of Armenta. Armenta was not to be undone as he scored his own right hand that sent Gutierrez down to the canvas. Gutierrez seemed the worse for wear of the two as Armenta tried to finish his man off but to no use. Gutierrez began to box in the second, as he was able to score with a quick jab couple with hard lefts. Armenta made it a brawl every time that the fight moved to the inside and was able to score hard hooks from either fist that visibly hurt Gutierrez. Near the end of the round, Armenta scored big with a straight right and left hook that sent Gutierrez down once again. Gutierrez shot right back up and beat the count and made it to the end of the round.
In the third, Gutierrez boxed successfully, landing quick two and three punch combinations as Armenta began to show his frustration in not being able to impose his will like in the first two rounds. Armenta was still able to engage Gutierrez in the inside but the “Relentless One” was able to be more intelligent and box himself out of trouble. By the start of the fourth, Armenia’s face began to show the damage of Gutierrez assault while Gutierrez nose began to bleed soon after. Mid way through the round, Armenta made it a war and began to force Gutierrez to fight his fight. Both fighters fought to the end of the round with out taking a step back to the delight of the cheering crowd. Tony Crebs and Alejandro Rochin saw it 38-37 while Fritz Warner scored 39-36, all for Pablo Armenta.
Araiza Tames Bengi
Jose “Tapitas” Araiza (31-1, 20KO) of nearby Tecate, MX, earned an entertaining unanimous decision over scrappy Bengi Garcia (14-13-3, 2KO) National City, CA, in a six round bantamweight bout.
The action began early when Araiza slipped in the first seconds of the first round and Garcia decided to land a left hook that brought the attention of the third man in the ring, Jose Cobian. Cobian immediately deducted a point from Garcia who went after Araiza with new abandon with left and right hooks to the head of Araiza. Araiza tried to keep him at bay with a solid jab that at times landed with success. Araiza raised the heat in the second as he began to stalk the much lighter and smaller Garcia around the ring. Near the end of the round, Araiza landed a hard left hook that bothered Garcia which made him take his first step back in the fight. Araiza tried to capitalize on the dazed Garcia but was not able to slow down his fast moving opponent.
In the third, the leather began to fly as both warriors began to land bombs on each with Araiza landing the harder shots. The fight leaned towards a brawl in the second half of the round as both fighters landed body shots and then clinched to catch their breath. The action slowed down in the fourth as both fighters seemed visibly fatigued. Araiza as well as Garcia were content in letting the other control the pace during the round. At first, Garcia seemed the busier of the two but Araiza was able to close out the round by trapping Garcia against the blue corner and going to work on the body.
Despite Garcia landing the occasional wild overhand rights to the head of Araiza, the Tecate, MX, had no trouble taking over the fifth and sixth round with a controlled attack to the head and body and Garcia to earn the decision. Alejandro Rochin saw it 60-53 while Fritz Warner had it 58-56. Tony Crebs scored it 59-55.
Chatman Side Steps To a Win
Middleweight Chris “Toro” Chatman (6-1, 2KO) earned a unanimous decision over game Steve Macomber (3-6, 2KO), both of San Diego, CA, over four rounds with scores of 40-34 three times. From the opening bell, Chatman began showboating for the crowd and making it much tougher that it should have been. Despite of his tactics, Chatman was able to land hard power punches to the soft mid-section of Macomber. Macomber met the canvas twice in the second, the first after the southpaw Chatman landed a straight right hand and the second from a body shot. In the third, Chatman settled down at the urging of his corner and began to set up on the inside and continue to land to the body while the Macomber was able to land a sporadically with jabs and uppercuts which would slow down the charge of the “Toro”. Chatman continued his third round game plan in the fourth and cruised to the easy victory.
