By Chris Williams: Lightweight/light welterweight contender Mercito Gesta (25-0, 13 KO’s) is truly in a no win situation on Friday night against 2nd tier fighter Ty Barnett (20-2-1, 13 KO’s) in their scheduled 10 round bout at the Texas Station Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. By facing a 2nd tier fighter rather than an actual contender, it doesn’t if Gesta wins the fight by knockout.
He’s not going to get the credit he might deserve because Barnett isn’t a real threat to him. He’s just been picked out so that Gesta can look good and not have any more close calls like he did in the Manuel Perez fight where Gesta appeared to lose but was still given a victory.
If Gesta has to struggle to beat Barnett than Gesta’s stock will drop even further than it is now. Gesta’s ranking – #11 WBO in light welterweight division, #6 WBA, #10 IBF at lightweight – may stay where it is if he has to struggle to beat Barnett, but boxing fans won’t see Gesta as a legit threat to anyone. He’s really in a situation where he’s not going to come out smelling like a rose no matter what happens in the fight. And, if Gesta loses this fight, and I think that’s a possibility because he’s very limited, then his career is going to be in real trouble.
I just don’t know Gesta can do as far as a forward direction after this fight. I think he’s going to win but look horrible, but I don’t know where he can go. Gesta will be over his head if he faces any of the good fighters at light welterweight, and at lightweight, Gesta would be badly schooled by guys like Adrien Broner, Antonio DeMarco, Miguel Vazquez, and Ricky Burns. He’s in a bad situation here unless Gesta’s promoters at Top Rank can land him one of those Silver straps belonging to the WBC and have him sport that thing around for a few years until one of the division titles fall vacant.
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