By Chris Williams: 24-year-old lightweight contender Mercito Gesta (24-0-1, 12 KO’s) will be taking another easy fight against 2nd tier fighter Oscar Cuero (15-7, 12 KO’s) in a scheduled eight round bout on April 14th at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gesta-Cuero will be on the undercard of the Brandon Rios vs. Richard Abril fight for the vacant WBA lightweight championship. Also on the card will be undefeated light welterweight contenders Mike Alvarado facing Mauricio Herrera.

It looks as if Gesta’s promoters still don’t think Gesta is ready to have the training wheels taken off after nine years as a pro. It’s to imagine a nine-year pro list Gesta still fighting eight round bouts against 2nd tier opposition, but that’s what it looks like.

Cuero, 26, has lost five out of his last seven fights and has done nothing of note during his career other than losing to some notable fighters like Dannie Williams, Monty Meza Clay, Emmanuel Lucero, and Matt Remillard.

Gesta, #7 WBA, is considered by some of his boxing fans as the next Manny Pacquiao, but I don’t see it. Gesta looks slow, very easy to hit and he gasses out late in his fights. I had him losing to Manuel Perez (16-6-1) last September in a fight where Gesta looked horrible throughout the fight. I’m not surprised he got the decision but the fight showed that Gesta isn’t ready to be matched against anyone good in the tier. If a fighter like Perez can fight Gesta well enough to deserve a decision can you imagine what a good bottom top tier contender would do to Gesta? I’m not even talking about a top five contender or a champion, because that wouldn’t be fair. Gesta would be so far out of his class that it wouldn’t be funny. But at 24, I just don’t see Gesta being the one to carry Pacquiao’s torch when he decides to hang up the gloves in couple of years.