LAS VEGAS – Ernesto “Tito” Mercado wanted to announce his presence while WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson sat ringside, and Mercado’s highlight-reel fourth-round TKO of former two-division champion Jose Pedraza did just that.
“I want that punk right there,” Mercado said in the ring afterward, staring at the smiling three-division champion Stevenson, who has his own bout to deal with in a February 22 title defense against Floyd Schofield in Saudi Arabia.
The 23-year-old Mercado, 17-0 (16 KOs), said he played his most experienced foe perfectly, calmly sending scoring but muted blows until he saw an opening to deliver the hammer in the fourth.
Mercado sent a power left-right to the head of Pedraza, who crashed colorfully backward and struck the back of his head on the canvas before rising on badly wobbled legs, which forced the bout to be waved off at 2 minutes and 8 seconds of the fourth round.
Mercado said because he was dealing with an experienced ex-champion, he decided “just to stay calm, hitting the body, until I saw the perfect shot. I’ve got power.”
The last sentence was again aimed at Stevenson.
“He was getting closer,” Mercado said. “I knew I’d connect.”
Possible soon-to-be future WBO lightweight titlehoder Keyshawn Davis was due to attend Saturday’s card at The Cosmopolitan.
“Send me the champions,” Mercado said.
Unbeaten 140lbs Leonardo Rubalcava, of Mexico, and Mercado’s brother, Israel, opened the main portion of the DAZN card by staging an entertaining majority draw.
Judges Dave Moretti and Chris Migliore had the bout 75-75 each, and Zachary Young scored it 76-74 Mercado, putting the first blemish on the now 9-0-1 record of Rubalcava. Mercado is 11-1-2.
A furious first round transpired as Israel Mercado delivered effective power right hands to Rubalcava that clearly got the favored fighter’s attention, and Rubalcava rallied back by winding up and landing his own wicked offerings to the head, scoring a knockdown that was credited thanks to instant replay. Mercado arose and landed a combination to Rubalcava’s face.
The pair continued to exchange crowd-pleasing shots while slugging it out into the sixth when Rubalcava’s focus on body shots began to look ineffective as Mercado piled up scoring blows to the head.
Mercado suffered another painful lost point in the seventh when he threw a low blow after being warned for another in the fifth. By that sliver, the bout was effectively a tie.
Both fighters unleashed separate flurries in the desperate eighth, sending the tough-to-score bout to the judges.
Earlier, in three bouts featuring Matchroom prospects, India’s Nishant Dev, an Olympic quarterfinalist, made a smashing pro debut against Northern California’s Alton Wiggins, knocking Wiggins down twice with left-handed blows before referee Robert Hoyle called off the assault as Wiggins, 1-1-1, stumbled to the canvas with 12 seconds remaining in the first round.
“I was dreaming about this moment … many more to come,” Dev said. “The 10oz gloves feel like hammers in my hands. Nobody’s ever been a world champion from India. I want to make a legacy.”
Dev’s potential wasn’t lost on promoter Eddie Hearn.
“We know the size of that country. Now, they have a real fighter who can bring big fights to India, something that has never been done before,” Hearn said. “We know we’ve got a long way to go. … We’ll keep him nice and active.”
Harley Mederos, 8-0, (7 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, delivered a frightening third-round knockout win over Mexico’s Arturo de Isla, 5-3-1, smashing a right hand to the head that left de Isla flat on the canvas for several seconds before he was able to sit up on his stool and generate relieved applause.
Mederos immediately began flinging power punches from both hands at de Isla, hammering the Mexican’s head and body, and making him retreat. Mederos powered a right hand that snapped de Isla’s neck back in the second, and he remained attentive to the body.
The knockout came 1:27 into the third.
“I’m still learning, working on setting up shots. I’m trying to calm down, relax and become a better pro,” said Mederos, who claimed his earlier power punches were too tense. “Seeing openings, seeing him break down, I was able to capitalize and get the knockout.”
Zaquin Moses, 19, of Newark, New Jersey, opened the card and flashed an impressive left hand to batter the face of Mexico’s Mario Garcia, who showed up more than six pounds overweight for the junior lightweight bout and decided to remain on his stool after the first-round drubbing.
Moses, 2-0 (1 KO), is the cousin of lightweight titleholder Stevenson.
Garcia left the ring with an ice pack over his right biceps area.
“Target practice!” one of Moses’ numerous supporters yelled amid the small, early crowd.
“I wasn’t even warmed up yet,” Moses said afterward. “I felt I’d stop him in the second when I got warmed up.”
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
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