By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino bantamweight Jerope “Nino de Oro” Mercado who fights out of Kobe, Hyogo in Japan has kept his winning streak going with a ten round unanimous decision over Yuki Mura at the Asahi Ward Center in Osaka.
The 28 year old Mercado won on the scorecards of all three judges – 98-92, 97-94 and 97-95.
With the win, his seventh straight over Japanese opponents Mercado improved to 17-1-2 with 6 knockouts while the 29 year old Mura dropped to 13-13-4 with 3 knockouts.
Mercado’s only defeat was at the hands of Eden Sonsona in a Philippine super flyweight title bout when he was cut and lost by a 9th round TKO.
Mercado figured in a highly controversial draw with Vusi Malinga in a WBC International title fight in Gauteng, South Africa on February 2 last year.
The former Philippine amateur national team member was well ahead on points after eight rounds and was clearly the better boxer that night but while Ismael Khoali scored it 114-114 and Siya Vabaza saw Mercado the winner 115-112 the third judge Andrew Smale gave it to Mlainga 114-113.
The South African media criticized the decision with well-known boxing writer Mesuli Zifo saying the southpaw Malinga “nearly saw his world title hopes go up in smoke when he was battered by Philippine fighter Jerope Mercado only for the judges to score the bout a draw and save Malinga an obvious defeat.”