California-based Filipinos Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta and Michael Fareñas will test their mettle against tough and popular rivals in the undercard of Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez IV on Dec. 8 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The unbeaten Gesta (26-0-1, 14 knockouts) will be gunning for the International Boxing Federation lightweight crown of Mexican Miguel Vasquez (32-2, 13 KOs) while Fareñas will tangle with Yuriorkis Gamboa, the former WBA-IBF featherweight titlist.
While Gesta, a Cebuano who now lives in San Diego, is given good chances of toppling Vasquez, the same cannot be said of Fareñas, who will come into the fight as a substitute for Mexican Miguel Beltran Jr.
Though Fareñas, the pride of Gubat, Sorsogon who now lives in Foothill Ranch, totes a respectable 34-3-4, 26 KOs record, he will be up against the unbeaten Gamboa (21-0, 16 KOs), the Cuban gold medalist in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Farenas’ non-title bout with Gamboa, whose showdown with Beltran was shelved following the Mexican’s split decision loss to Roman Martinez last Sept. 15, was reported by ESPN’s Dan Rafael.
The 28-year-old Vasquez will be defending his crown for the fifth time against Gesta, who holds training camp at Abel Sanchez’s Summit Gym in Big Bear Lake, California.
Like Pacquiao, both Gesta and Fareñas are southpaws.