Ernesto ‘Tito’ Mercado expected to be matched as tough as possible when he signed with Matchroom Boxing.
Famous matchmaker Kevin Rooney Jr. came through on that part, as he always does.
Mercado (16-0, 15 KOs) now has an opponent for his Nov. 9 Matchroom debut. The fast-rising junior welterweight will face Guadalajara’s Jesus Saracho in the opening bout of a five-fight DAZN show from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“If I want to get these world title fights and make noise, I have to face these tough guys,” Mercado told The Ring. “Matchroom has the platform to make that happen for me. Kevin is an aggressive matchup and will get me there. It shouldn’t be too long before I become a superstar.”
Mercado-Saracho will serve in a supporting capacity for the Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis-Karen Chukhadzhian IBF welterweight title fight rematch. Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) defends his RING/WBC 115-pound championship against Pedro Guevara (42-4-1, 22 KOs) in the main event.
Mercado (23) now has the task of firing up the crowd before the two title fights.
This should not be a problem given the opponent and his preparation.
Saracho (14-2-1, 11 KOs) was already scheduled to fight on this date, but on a different show. The Guadalajara native was scheduled to face Fernando Bunch (13-1, 6 KOs) at a ProBox show on Nov. 9 in Kissimmee, Florida.
The 23-year-old Mexican southpaw will instead test the skills and knowledge of Mercado.
Saracho has also shown a flair for going quality rounds.
He faced then-undefeated Cesar Francis and Alberto Palmetta in decision wins the past two years. Those games marked two competitive blemishes on his mark. Saracho fought to a draw with then-undefeated Tarik Zaina last June and dropped a wildly scored split decision to Starling Castillo on March 27.
Mercado is game for the cause who is also determined to shine in his first fight under the Matchroom banner.
“They fought big battles and can do the same for me,” said Mercado. “The Boots/Bam undercard will have a lot of eyeballs.
