Golden Boy returned to its Coachella Valley home at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino with an exciting night of boxing to a sold-out boisterous crowd. The main event of the night featured an eventful 10-round lightweight fight between Palmdale’s Joel Diaz, Jr. (26-2, 22 KOs) and San Diego’s Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (33-3-3, 17 KOs).

“I feel energized, knowing I have an upcoming baby that has made me want to go back in the ring,” said Gesta.

“We have been trying for six years, and we are blessed with this new life. I am so happy. When they said that there is ring rust, I don’t think I have that because I have been working hard and staying in shape. Joel Diaz Jr. is a tough fighter, and winning and having such a great performance is going to open the doors for me in the sport.” 

The first round started off very active as Gesta knocked Diaz, Jr. to the canvas twice, with Diaz, Jr. struggling to maintain his balance. Saved by the bell, Diaz, Jr. recovered and performed excellently in the second round, cornering Gesta and visibly hurting him.

As the fighters grew more comfortable in the ring, they traded blows staying in the pocket, both relentless. The fighters brought the cheering crowd to their feet with their fearless performances as the judges determined their fate.

With scores of 93-95, 92-96, and 92-96, the judges ruled in favor of Gesta, crowning him the victor via unanimous decision.

“Mercito is a tough opponent,” said Diaz Jr.  “I was giving him a lot of hard punches, but I couldn’t catch him. There is still a lot that I need to work on, focusing on landing my punches and staying patient. I was going out there looking for the kill, but that’s not always going to happen.”