One of boxing’s best prospects returns to action on Friday night, but this time as the main event exclusively on DAZN. Junior welterweight Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (14-0, 13 KOs) will headline Red Owl Boxing’s Box Fest VIII against Deiner Berrio (22-4-1, 13 KOs) in a ten-round bout.
Last year was a big one for Mercado as he stepped through the ropes five times against some tough competition, especially for a fighter who only had eight fights before the start of 2023. Fighters like Henry Lundy, Jeremia Nakathila, and others were unsuccessful in beating Mercado. Looking back, Mercado enjoyed not only the level of activity but also the experience it brought to his young boxing career.
“It was a big year for me,” said Mercado. “I fought a lot of top guys who faced world champions and undisputed world champions. To be able to go in there and handle business like I did shows a lot. It shows a lot not only to my people but also to myself that I’m on that level. This year is going to be the same: proving another point that I should be up there with the top guys.”
When going through the list of names he faced, the fights that stuck out to him as great ones were Lundy and Xolisani Ndongeni. “In the Xolisani (Ndongeni) fight, I learned a lot because it was in Nicaragua and I got there like 2-3 days before the fight. I felt the whole weather and everything kind of affected me, and by the second or third round, I was already gassed out. I learned about myself as I could be dead tired but still push myself to get the victory.”
At the beginning of the year, Mercado was ready to get started and signed up for a fight with Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions. After an opponent couldn’t be secured in time, it was announced he would fight on a MarvNation card in Los Angeles. The agreed upon weight was 143 pounds, but his opponent came in at 156 pounds. Despite pressure to take the fight anyway, Mercado felt that doing so would do nothing for his career and passed on the fight. After waiting it out for a while, the opportunity arose for a fight in Tijuana, MX in February, where Mercado earned a second-round knockout.
Such is the life of a fighter working independently without a major promoter. There are pros and cons to having a major promoter as there are for not having one. For Mercado, the situation that got him here is good for now. There were whispers that Mercado hadn’t signed with a major platform yet since he has his own promotional company with his father and would only partner with a promotional company. Mercado did not hesitate to answer, knowing the topic had made its rounds.
“Right now, I’m still a free agent. I see a lot of prospects that aren’t fighting the guys I’m fighting. This fight (Friday) is headlining on DAZN, so we are making moves. We are just trying to make sure everything lines up before we do anything.”
https://t.co/POY4AZoMy2 prospect of the year Ernesto 'Tito' Mercado aims to dazzle as the DAZN headliner at Boxfest VIII. With an impressive record of 13-0 (12KO) he is set to shake up the junior welterweight division against Deiner Berrio.#BoxfestVIII #RedOwlBoxing pic.twitter.com/YmFYc0TL76
— Red Owl Boxing (@redowlbox) April 2, 2024
His opponent on Friday night, Berrio, has been inactive and hasn’t fought in over 2 ½ years. It would be hard for some fighters to get up for an inactive fighter, but Mercado isn’t taking Berrio lightly as he cites his experience against recognized fighters as a reason to still be sharp on fight night. Mercado knows a win for Berrio would be a “come up for him.”
If all goes well on Friday, Mercado’s goals for this year include facing one or two fighters in the top ten in the junior welterweight division. He also would not turn away a title shot if one were to present itself. Although those thoughts are there, Mercado is locked into Friday night on DAZN.
“After April 5, I can guarantee all my fights will be on a major streaming platform. We are going to take a different approach this year, and all of my fights will be on a major platform. A lot of prospects fold under the bright lights, so I want to exceed expectations. My opponent has never been stopped before, so that’s what I’m definitely aiming for.”
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