When it comes to young fighters with great upside, there are a handful of names out there, but one that keeps coming up is 23-year-old junior welterweight Ernesto ‘Tito’ Mercado (16-0, 15 KOs). Mercado took the hard road on his way up by going independent, but that paid off for him as all the major promoters were looking to sign him until he settled with Matchroom Boxing. Now Mercado will make his highly anticipated debut with Matchroom on January 25 in Las Vegas, NV, against former world champion Jose Pedraza (29-6-1, 14 KOs).
Going From Indie To Major
Not every fighter who goes pro gets signed to a major promoter out of the amateurs. Some take longer to develop and get signed later on in their careers. But some fighters bet on themselves independently, which works out and gives them leverage when negotiating a deal with a major promotion at that point, as Devin Haney did a few years ago. Mercado and his father decided to go the independent route, and although it’s the harder road to take, like Haney, it worked out, leading to Mercado signing a deal with Matchroom in the summer. With all of the offers he received from different promoters, what stood out about Matchroom?
“We’ve seen the track record of Matchroom, and they’ve been making these big fights happen in the past year or two,” said Mercado. “They get the fights done that I’ve seen these fighters demanding. If we want those big-name fights, unfortunately, we have to go with a big-name promoter that has pull. We know Eddie Hearn can not only promote very well but get us the fights we want.”
The Matchroom Debut That Didn’t Happen
After the big late summer announcement, Mercado was ready to make his Matchroom debut, and Eddie Hearn announced that he would appear on the card headlined by Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on November 9. The anticipation was building, and Mercado was ready for his Matchroom debut until the weigh-in, where his opponent, Jesus Saracho, came seven pounds overweight. Mercado had a decision to make, and he opted not to move forward with the fight as it was not worth the risk. He was obviously upset about the situation, as it happened many times throughout his independent run.
“Yeah man (about being upset with the situation), especially because it was my (Matchroom) debut. A lot of people were anticipating my fight, and some flew from LA as well. To me, at one point, I was going to take the fight just like that, but then I thought it was too much weight and after he rehydrates, he would be at 170.
“A lot of people were saying that fighters in the past have taken those fights anyway, but it could go either way. You have to pick and choose your battles. For me, it made no sense. The guy wasn’t trying to lose the weight, and a guy like that doesn’t deserve the fight.”
Ernesto “Tito” Mercado vs. Jose Pedraza Booked For Las Vegas In January
Although disappointed, his promoter Hearn came through on his word, and Mercado couldn’t be happier. “My next date is January 25 in Las Vegas, NV,” said Mercado.
“We’re ready. I’m actually going up against Jose Pedraza. Obviously, it’s a way bigger name than the last fight. He is a former world champion, so this fight will definitely put me on the map. We kept trying to get Pedraza and offered him the fight when we were independent. Having a promoter at a certain level, like Eddie Hearn, can sometimes get you through the door.”
The Pedraza fight is a huge step up for Mercado, and it’s a fight he’s been trying to make for a while now. The problem was that Mercado was looking to do the Pedraza fight while being independent, and it never materialized because of it. “Having a promoter at a certain level like Eddie Hearn can sometimes get you through the door. We offered fights to a lot of top guys, but they kept rejecting them, so it definitely helps out a lot to have a promoter like Eddie Hearn.”
Mercado now has the opportunity to make his Matchroom debut with a bigger name opponent in the fight city of Las Vegas. Maybe the situation in November was a blessing in disguise, as now he will be better positioned to showcase his skills against a crafty veteran who has given plenty of fighters problems who thought they were ready for the next level. If Mercado is at the level he says he is then he should steamroll through Pedraza. We will find out a lot about Mercado on January 25.
While we wait for the fight in Janaury,heading into 2025, what is Mercado’s vision of how the year should play out? “I’m coming for the world champions. Maybe after this fight, you never know. If they offer me a title opportunity, I’ll take it. It’s really doing my thing now and being ready for a title opportunity when it comes.”
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