Fight Preview
This Saturday, Joseph Diaz Jr. makes his ring comeback when he fights Mercito Gesta of the Philippines in a 12-round lightweight affair. The two southpaws will square off in Long Beach, California.
After losing in the similar manner to Devin Haney ten months earlier in a contest for the WBC Lightweight Championship, Diaz suffered his second straight defeat to William Zepeda in a wide 12-round unanimous decision in October. Meanwhile, Gesta last competed in April, defeating Joel Diaz Jr. through unanimous decision after being knocked out in the first round.
When WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Russell Jr. defeated Diaz Jr., 30, by unanimous decision in May 2018, he forfeited his first attempt at a world championship. Three months later, he defeated Jesus Rojas, who had the WBA title, by unanimous decision, but due to being overweight when the fight began, he was unable to take home the trophy. However, it was third time lucky for him when he prevailed over Tevin Farmer by unanimous decision to win the IBF Super Featherweight Championship.
Let’s check the latest picks, Boxing news, stats and Boxing expert picks for Joseph Diaz Jr vs Mercito Gesta. We’ve plenty of Boxing predictions for you to consider.
Diaz began his professional career in December 2012, has competed in 275 rounds, and now holds a record of 32-3-1 with 15 knockouts. He now has a knockout ratio of 41.7% and average fist power. Nine of his previous 10 fights have gone the distance. He has won the WBA Gold Super Featherweight Title, the NABF and WBO-NABO Featherweight Titles, and is 5-feet-6-inches tall with a 64-inch inch.
The San Diego-based Gesta enters the ring with a record of 33-3-3 and 17 Kos. His knockout percentage is currently 43.6 percent, and he has had just one finish in his last nine fights, so his power isn’t particularly strong either.
He’s been stopped once and dropped a couple times, so his chin is a little suspect. In a 2012 attempt to win the IBF Lightweight Championship, Miguel Vazquez handed him his first defeat by unanimous decision. He didn’t lose again until Jorge Linares defeated him in a match for the WBC Diamond and WBA Lightweight Championships in 2018.
Joseph Diaz Jr vs Mercito Gesta Fight Information
- Date: 03/18/2023
- Time: 11:00 PM ET
- Location: Walter Pyramid Long Beach, California.
- How to Watch Joseph Diaz Jr vs Mercito Gesta: DAZN
- Live Stream: sho.com
Joseph Diaz Jr vs Mercito Gesta Betting Lines
Joseph Diaz Jr is -900 according to our Vegas Boxing Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $11. On the other side, Mercito Gesta is +550 according to the Vegas Boxing Lines. This means that if you wager $100 you have the chance to win $550.
The implied probability for these two teams attached to the betting lines have Joseph Diaz Jr at a 90.00% chance of winning the game, meanwhile Mercito Gesta have 15.38% probability of finishing the game with the W.
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