LAS VEGAS – Diego Magdaleno may not have blown through his opponent the way some hoped he would, but he made a dominant showing just the same.
Friday night at the Islander Ballroom in Mandalay Bay, a venue hard to locate but telegenic enough for promoter Top Rank’s fight-weekend-appetizer purposes, Magdaleno (21-0, 7 KOs), a local super featherweight favorite, cruised to a unanimous and well-deserved victory over New York’s Emmanuel Lucero (26-8-1, 14 KOs). Judges scored the match 100-87, 100-88 and 100-89.
After an even beginning, Magdaleno, a quick-hopping southpaw, began to hurl his straight left at the slower Lucero and find him most every time he did. Though Lucero was game throughout, often goading Magdaleno as if to seduce him into further punishment, Magdaleno was too quick and accurate with the assault he mounted.
Round 7, the most lopsided of the fight, saw Las Vegas’ Magdaleno catch Lucero with a left cross as the New Yorker bounced of the ropes and came forward. Magdaleno’s left landed with force enough to send Lucero directly back to the same ropes. Though Lucero did not drop to the canvas, he hit the ropes hard enough to get the referee’s attention and collect a 10-count. That knockdown accounted for the one-sided scorecards Nevada judges submitted.
While Magdaleno is a contender with a fair degree of class, there are concerns about his ability to hurt opponents. At some point in the near future, Magdaleno will need to start brutalizing tough but limited men like Lucero by grinding them to stoppages, if he is to become more than a local attraction.
MERCITO GESTA VS. RICARDO DOMINGUEZ
The Philippines’ Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta may not be Manny Pacquiao – no one is – but he does a workable enough cover of the southpaw champion’s style to deserve a spot in crooner Pacquiao’s band.
In Friday’s co-main event, and only other televised match, Gesta (24-0-1, 12 KOs) worked over Mexican lightweight Ricardo Dominguez (34-7-2, 21 KOs) for 10 somewhat-uninspired rounds, easing his way to a unanimous decision the official judges scored 99-91, 97-92 and 98-92.
Skipping forward from his southpaw stance and propelling an educated left hand, Gesta had Dominguez in trouble for a moment of the fourth round but ultimately allowed the Mexican to remain standing till the match’s final bell six stanzas later.
Gesta has feasted on b-level opponents in the past and seemed somewhat surprised at Dominguez’s durability. Going forward, Gesta will have to make fantastic strides to take himself from backup-player to main-event participant, with Pacquiao, in his countrymen’s minds.
Photo By Chris Farina / Top Rank
