Pinoy boxer Gesta’s bout vs Molina ends in draw

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxer Mercito Gesta fought Mexican-American fighter Carlos Molina to a 10-round split draw in their junior welterweight showdown on Friday, May 1 at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Palm Springs, California.

First judge Eddie saw it in favor of Molina with the score of 98-92, while Gesta came out on top on Tom Taylor’s sheet at 96-94.

On the other hand, third ringside official Max DeLuca had it even on his scorecard with a 95-95 mark.

That was a war between the ropes! Judges scores: 98-92 Molina, 96-94 Gesta, 95-95 for a Split Draw! Give it up for both warriors for an incredible show!

A photo posted by Golden Boy Promotions (@goldenboyboxing) on Apr 30, 2015 at 8:48pm PDT

With both men in desperate need of a win to keep moving forward, Gesta and Molina spearheaded an entertaining encounter that was aired on FOX Sports 1 in the United States under Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

Molina (17-2-2, 7 knockouts) came out aggressively and landed the better punches in the first three rounds, catching Gesta with left hooks to the head and hitting well-placed counter shots.

However, Gesta (28-1-2, 16 knockouts) controlled the pace in the middle rounds with his jab and flashier displays of combinations.

During the final stretch, Molina accurately clobbered more crowd-pleasing right hands as Gesta surged forward and stayed busy throwing punches in all angles.

The 29-year-old Molina was looking to snap his two-fight losing skid that he suffered in the hands of Amir Khan and Adrien Broner.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Gesta was aiming to claim his third-consecutive victory since yielding to then-champion Miguel Vazquez for the IBF lightweight title on the undercard of Pacquiao-Marquez IV in December 2012.

Despite the dismal result of his bout against Molina, Gesta accepted the outcome whole-heartedly and thanked his supporters on Instagram.

“I would like to Golden Boy for this wonderful opportunity. It was a good fight,” said Gesta, who recently inked an exclusive promotional contract with Golden Boy.

It was a great fight. Thanks for watching. You all are great fans! On behalf of Team Gesta and myself, THANK YOU! @therealmgesta @foxsports1 @foxdeportes #GestaMolina #GoldenBoyLive

A video posted by Golden Boy Promotions (@goldenboyboxing) on Apr 30, 2015 at 10:58pm PDT

– Rappler.com