Rising 140-pound prospect Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (15-0, 14 KOs) improved his professional record to a perfect 15-0 on Friday night at the “Owl’s Nest” in Houston, scoring a TKO victory over veteran Deiner Berrio (22-5-1, 13 KOs) to win the WBA North American Gold Super Lightweight Title in the main event of Red Owl Boxing’s BOX FEST VIII on DAZN.
The fight proved to be a tale of two fighters for as long as it lasted, as the 22-year-old Mercado, trained by his father, Ernesto Mercado Sr., implemented an offensive-heavy attack, continuously pressing forward over the course of three rounds, searching for openings and landing some powerful shots to the head and body. The 33-year-old Berrio, meanwhile, used a far more defensive approach, offering little opportunity for Mercado to land and implementing little offense of his own.
Ultimately, the fight was called off following round three, as Berrio, who hadn’t fought since 2021, failed to answer the bell for round four, handing Mercado a TKO victory.
“I think he just came over here to just play around,” Mercado said in the ring following the fight. “He didn’t throw no punches. He quit on his stool. But I tried giving the fans a good fight. I came forward, I threw punches, but there’s only so much I can do.”
Following the victory, “Tito” now has his sights set on the biggest names at 140 pounds, including newly-crowned champion Issac “Pitbull” Cruz.
“I want to get the top guys in the ring with me – the world champions, the top contenders. I’m ready for that.
“I like that fight with ‘Pitbull’ [Cruz],” he added.
In the co-main event of the evening, Atlanta native Carlos “Action” Jackson (20-1, 13 KOs) scored a TKO victory over Mexican Alexis Bastar (18-2-1, 9 KOs) after Bastar retired on his stool due to a hand injury before the start of the fifth round.
After a competitive opening two rounds, Jackson jumped ahead, scoring a knockdown with a body shot in the early portion of round three. He then, however, landed what would be the first of multiple low blows and the action was halted. Bastar responded well, quickly landing a strong left hand of his own, although Jackson would then be called for three more low blows throughout the duration of the round, being deducted two points in the process.
In round four, Bastar hit the canvas again after Jackson landed a somewhat controversial shot in the clinch. It would prove to be the beginning of the end, however, as Bastar would retire on his stool before the start of round five due to a hand injury, making Jackson the victor by way of TKO.
Earlier on DAZN, 24-year-old Houston-native Oscar Perez (9-0-2, 6 KOs) continued his rise, scoring a unanimous decision victory (57-56, 58-55, 59-54) over Jeremiah Lewis-Watts (3-2-1, 1 KO) in a six-round, 135-pound contest.
Perez started strong, landing a few solid left hands in the opening round and then increasing the pressure in the second round, beginning to attack the body on the inside. In the third round, Perez scored a somewhat controversial knockdown, as he landed a body shot, although it appeared as if Lewis-Watts may have slipped.
As the fight went on, “El Chato”, who revealed following the bout that he had injured his right hand during the contest, continued to implement his gameplan, seemingly hurting Lewis-Watts in round five and then pouring on the attack in search of a finish. With Perez appearing to slow down just a bit, however, Lewis-Watts, who knew he needed a finish to win, landed a few big shots of his own towards the end of round six, although it was too little too late, as Perez received the nod in front of his hometown crowd.
Opening up the main card on DAZN, 19-year-old lightweight prospect Adrian Serrano (3-0-1) remained unbeaten, improving his professional record to 3-0-1 with a majority decision victory over Luis Gerardo (1-3) in an action-packed four-round affair.
“In my personal opinion, I feel like I gave a good performance,” Serrano said. “We didn’t end up getting the result we wanted as a knockdown, but thanks to my coach, we prevailed from it and we had a tough fighter and we knew that, and I just want to thank God for the win.
“I was looking to break him down,” he added. “He’s a tough guy. He took every punch.”
Starting fast in the first round, Serrano, a seven-time US Amateur National Champion, proved to be the quicker fighter, working behind a strong jab and combinations and landing a few notable uppercuts. The second round was more competitive, as the two fighters traded shots for the majority of the round, although “El Diamante” finished the frame strong, knocking out Gerardo’s mouthpiece at the end of the round with a vicious left hook.
The third round opened up with more of the same, as Serrano again knocked out Gerardo’s mouthpiece with a powerful right hand. Serrano continued to land big shots throughout the round, although Gerardo continued to fire back and the round ended with both men again trading shots.
The final frame saw Serrano put a stamp on his performance, as he began to pour it on with a variety of devastating body shots and seemingly hurting Gerardo at some points. Gerardo, who has competed in both MMA and Muay Thai as well, fought valiantly, however, showing heart and continuing to fight back, although it wasn’t enough in the end, as the Californian Serrano was awarded a majority decision victory (38-38, 39-37, 40-46).
