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Zepeda vs. Gesta Final Press Conference
Photos: William Trillo
As things heat up for Mexican Independence Day, William
“El Camarón” Zepeda (28-0, 24 KOs) and Mercito “No
Mercy” Gesta (34-3-3, 17 KOs) hosted a press conference
ahead of their 12-round clash on September 16 for
Zepeda's WBA Continental Americas Lightweight Title. The
special fight night event will take place at the
Commerce Casino & Hotel and will be broadcast live on
DAZN. Doors to The Commerce Casino & Hotel open at 3:00
p.m. PT, The Golden Boy Fight Night: Zepeda vs. Gesta
Prelims on YouTube and Facebook Watch begin at 3:05 p.m.
PT, and the DAZN broadcast will begin at 5:00 p.m. PT/
8:00 p.m. ET.
The co-main event will feature Vancouver’s Victor “El
Tornado” Morales (18-0-1, 9 KOs) who is scheduled to
defend his WBA Intercontinental Featherweight Title
against Mexico City’s Edwin “Pupo” Palomares (18-4-2, 9
KOs) in a 10-round fight.
Three-division and five-time world champion Yokasta
Valle (28-2, 9 KOs) will make her grand 2023 return to
U.S. soil and will defend her IBF and WBO Minimumweight
World Championship titles against Maria Santizo (11-3, 6
KOs) of Guatemala City, Guatemala. Houston, Texas’
Darius “DFG” Fulghum (6-0, 6 KOs) will look to continue
his knockout streak in an eight-round light heavyweight
fight against Mexico City’s Ricardo “Tyson” Luna
(25-10-2, 16 KOs).
Opening the DAZN broadcast with eight-rounds of
middleweight action, recently signed Eric Priest (10-0,
7 KOs) who represents Wichita Falls, Texas and is now
under the tutelage of world championship trainer Ismael
Salas, will face off against Danish-born Simon “Vikingo”
Madsen (13-1, 10 KOs) who now calls Cancun, Mexico home.
On the The Golden Boy Fight Night: Zepeda vs. Gesta
Prelims streamed on YouTube and Facebook Watch, Daniel
“Junebug” Garcia (6-0, 5 KOs) of Denver, Colorado will
fight Guadalajara, Mexico’s Erick “Aidahoe” Benitez
(4-4, 1 KO) in a four-round super featherweight match.
In a six-round super lightweight fight, Mexicali,
Mexico’s Pinpon Reyes (10-0, 5 KOs) will measure up
against Roberto Gomez (5-1, 5 KOs) of Mexico City.
Recently signed to Golden Boy, Mexican Olympian Gael "El
Terror" Cabrera (1-0, 1 KO) of Sonora, Mexico will
participate in a four-round super bantamweight fight
against Managua, Nicaragua's Juan Centeno. Making his
pro-debut and opening Mexican Independence Day Weekend
festivities, Jordan Cervantes of East Los Angeles will
participate in a four-round lightweight fight against El
Paso, Texas' Giovanny Meza.
Here is what some of the participants from today's press
conference had to say:
WILLIAM ZEPEDA, WBA CONTINENTAL AMERICAS LIGHTWEIGHT
TITLEHOLDER:
"I am extremely motivated for this fight. I've always
believed that there's no such thing as an A-side or
B-side in boxing. To face a grand rival like Mercito
Gesta is a great privilege, and I can't wait to
demonstrate to everyone of what "El Camarón" is made
of."
MERCITO GESTA, LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CONTENDER:
"I am not new in this sport. I will never stop learning.
My style always evolves. I am staying in focused with my
coach Marvin Somodio. I am so excited to be facing
William Zepeda who is undefeated. Zepeda is an
up-and-coming fighter. He's great and he excites me.
This opportunity is really hard to miss. Now that Oscar
and Golden Boy have given it to me - why not? It's a
good fight. I want to thank Golden Boy for this
opportunity."
VICTOR MORALES, JR., WBA INTERCONTINENTAL TITLEHOLDER:
"I'm blessed to be on another Zepeda card as a co-main
event again on the most important weekend for us
Mexicans. We're very excited to do what we do. If he [Palomares]
wants to bring the pressure, we have a game plan for
everything. We can do it from the inside and we can do
it from the outside. We're going to go and be victorious
one more time."
YOKASTA VALLE, IBF AND WBO MINIMUMWEIGHT CHAMPION:
"Thank you to all the media who came. To Oscar, Eric and
all of Golden Boy for this big fight against Maria
Santizo. We have prepared 100-percent for this fight to
give you guys the show you have all been waiting for and
one that is worthy for this special Sept. 16 date. I am
so excited for the first bell to ring this coming
Saturday."
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF GOLDEN BOY
PROMOTIONS:
"September 16 is a tradition of amazing events for
boxing. You go back to Julio Cesar Chavez, Juan Manuel
Marquez, and even myself - we have put the September 16
date on the map for the sport of boxing. And now, today,
William Zepeda and Mercito Gesta have an opportunity to
show the world what fighting is all about."
"For some strange reason, whenever anyone steps inside
that ring on Mexican Independence Day, they fight with
such passion. They fight with heart, they fight with
everything they have because they know what's on the
line. Everyone who watches on Saturday can expect great
fights from top to bottom."
BERNARD HOPKINS, PARTNER OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
"Everybody up here has an opportunity to close out the
year, going into 2024. If you believe that the boxing
world doesn't have respect on your name, this is your
opportunity to get it going into 2024. Everyone do well,
be sharp, leave it all in the ring cause the world is
watching."
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