By Chris Williams: Bob Arum of Top Rank has lined up a title shot for his fighter Mercito Gesta (26-0-1, 14 KO’s) against IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vazquez (32-3, 13 KO’s) on December 8th on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV on HBO pay per view.

Gesta, 25, no doubt was picked out for the card because it makes a second Filipino vs. Mexico fight to go along with the Pacquiao vs. Marquez fight. There’s going to be a a lot of both Mexican and Filipino fight fans watching this card on PPV, and it looks Arum is giving them what they want by putting another rivalry type fight on the card.

However, I just wonder whether we’re going to see a controversial decision with Gesta getting a win over the slick and highly skilled Vazquez. I don’t see how it’s possible for a limited fighter like Gesta to be able to out-box Vazquez because this guy is really hard to hit and he rarely loses rounds. He’s like the lightweight division’s version of Anselmo Moreno. Vazquez punches from every angle and he moves constantly, making it extremely difficult for his opponents to hit him.

What Vazquez has going against him in this fight is he’s not a really popular fighter, and you know how those things go. I think Vazquez could find himself on the losing end of a controversial decision along the lines of the Brandon Rios vs. Richard Abril fight. Gesta has all those Filipino fans that will be cheering his every miss, whereas Vazquez doesn’t have a huge following in the Mexican community. I don’t see him getting the same kind of fan applause for what he’s doing in this fight.

Gesta is seen by some as the next Pacquiao. He’s got the unbeaten record, the fast hands, short height, and the noise that he makes when he throws his shots. I can’t see it myself, but that’s what some people see him as. I think it’s going to be very hard for Vazquez to get a decision over this guy. I’ve seen Gesta get a questionable decision before in a fight he appeared to lose, and I can see that happening again in the Vazquez fight.