By  Rey Danseco
 
UNBEATEN featherweight prospect Mercito Gesta will miss a chance to fight on the undercard of a big promotion, and won't return until next year after his scheduled fight on the “Grand Finale” card was canceled.

Gesta went in for an interview at the US Embassy in Manila Monday and took his working visa around 3 pm on Tuesday and was able to leave the country around 10 pm on board a Philippine Airlines flight on the same day.

Gesta was slated to fight a Mexican opponent who looks like a patsy, Juan Carlos Santiago on the undercard to Pacquiao-Erik Morales on Saturday at Thomas and Mack Center.

Salud agreed to cancel his schedule 8-round US debut as he do not want to risk the health of his fighter.

“Gesta has arrived here, but his fight will not push through. His arrival here was too close on the schedule, so he might get clobbered due to lack of rest and jetlag,” Salud told this writer in a telephone interview yesterday.

Salud revealed that Gesta, instead, might fight on another Top Rank card on January 17 in Los Angeles.

Gesta traveled with his former American handler Terry Carter from Ninoy Aquino International Airport after spending two days and one night in the residence of Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) ratings chairman Jimmy Narvaez in Radium Street, Manila.

Gesta, a native of Labogon, Mandaue City, trains under Carl Penalosa Jr., brother of popular former champions Gerry and Dodie Boy Penalosa, at Salud’s gym in Cebu City.
Gesta is a 5-foot-5 southpaw with 10-0-1 record with three knockouts in his three-year campaign.

However, a more promising and world champion caliber fighter from Philippine's boxing hotbed of Manila, Bernabe Concepcion will replace Gesta's slot.

Concepcion (19-1-1, 11 KOs) will fight unbeaten Mexican Jocksan Hernandez (11-0, 6 KOs) for the WBC youth super bantamweight title.