Ernesto “Titio” Mercado I have been walking a tightrope in this industry since I became a professional.
The precocious 22-year-old from Pomona, Calif., has supported himself throughout his career, remained a promotional free agent, fought his way up the ladder, and was named BoxingScene's Prospect of the Year last year. did.
He remains in an unusual position, appearing on a DAZN show in Texas this week with a record of 14-0 (13 KOs). Eleven of his opponents failed to make it past the first two rounds.
Mercado boxed five times last year and will step into the ring at Houston's Red Owl Boxing Arena in 2024 to face Los Angeles-based Colombian Dayner Berio, who is 22-4-1 (13 KOs). do.
Activity has become a buzzword in boxing, with some fighters getting rusty and out of shape while others are reborn by boxing more often and going to the gym.
“That was really important because that's the only way you learn,” Mercado said. “You can do all the training in the gym and spar as much as you want, but if you can’t go out and do it in an important match with the fans watching, then what’s the point? It doesn't make any sense.'' It's really important to stay active in the ring. ”
Mercado's popularity is also increasing. He'll probably be catering to major shows soon, but for now he's enjoying the flexibility and early rise.
“Being a free agent was a blessing in that sense because I was able to be active and fight against good opponents,'' explained the likeable Mercado. “For example, in my last fight I was scheduled to fight in January, but it got canceled and I was able to reschedule. There was also a guy who was overweight. When that happened, I was out for a week. I was able to get another match date later.
“Promotional companies sometimes push back schedules by two to three months if something like that happens because the event isn't coming up. So it's great to be able to schedule your own activity level.” is.”
It wasn't always meant to be this way. Mercado is a talented amateur who might have been scheduled to represent Nicaragua in boxing at the Tokyo Olympics had it not been for the pandemic. Not only did he miss out on qualifying for the Olympics, he didn't even qualify.
He was a Silver Gloves champion representing the U.S. National Boxing Team and had placed second at the U.S. Olympic Trials, so he planned to try out for his father's home country of Nicaragua. Then the pandemic broke out, and qualifying was canceled.
“If I had gone in and won the gold medal, things would have been very different,” Mercado said. “I was supposed to represent Nicaragua, but those plans were canceled due to COVID-19. But things happen for a reason, and I’m very happy with where I am. I am.
“I was really shocked at the time and when something like that happened I didn't want to think about being a professional. All the fighters that I looked up to went to the Olympics and won gold medals. I went to the Olympic qualifiers. I would have been happy if I had been able to try out. If I had lost then, it would have been all my fault, but I didn't even have a chance to qualify.”
And there was no desire to remain an amateur and wait another four years. Mercado turned professional and decided to take control of his future.
“Because nothing was guaranteed,” he continued. “Especially in boxing and definitely in amateur boxing. There's a lot of politics involved and if I had waited four more years it would have negatively affected my professional career.
“We’ve seen a lot of great amateur fighters, including; [Vasiliy] Lomachenko remained an amateur for a long time. What would we have seen if Lomachenko had turned pro at 22?”
Although the journeys are different, Mercado hopes the end point will be the same, but he couldn't have chosen more dangerous waters than those willing to pay him 140 pounds.
His top three in this division are Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Sabriel Matias, and when asked what he needs to add to his game to get to that level, Mercado said, “Mentally. I think we're ready in general. We need to bring in some players who are in the top 10. That's all we need.
“I got an offer earlier this year. [Arnold] Battle against Barboza. If I had won that fight, my stock would definitely have gone up and I know he ranks in the top five of all sanctioning bodies, so I'm up there with them. I would have.
“It would have been a great opportunity, but they turned it down. The ideal step would be to get one of the top 10, top five players and beat one or two of them. I think it's about gaining recognition along with a larger fan base to make the match happen.”
The sadness of missing out on his Olympic dream and the inconvenience of not having a similar bargaining chip at the beginning of his journey have kept him from taking a direct path to the top, but there is no doubt he will reach the top. do not have. He may be humble, but he doesn't lack confidence.
“I originally planned to debut on ESPN's Top Rank, but I waited for the Olympics,” he explained. “While the Olympics are being held, we [pro] I decided to play and see how things went and then take the free agent route. It wasn't because of promoter or recruiting issues, we were on track with the free agent route, so we decided to stick with it. ”
Being who he is means always standing up for himself. He will continue to win until his success is no longer denied or ignored, and he believes he will continue to keep his end of the bargain.
“100 percent,” Mercado added. “My team and I have complete faith in each other and in my ability to compete against the best teams and lead us all to the top. And the only one who did what we're doing now is Devin Haney.
“Unlike my climbs, which are in the United States, he did his climbs in Mexico. I also think there are more reputable opponents on my resume.” [at the same stage]That makes my trip a little more special. ”
Of course, there may be a difference between him and the top super lightweights. It is one of the most competitive weight classes in boxing, and one of the most talented.
Mercado said he is working on covering all bases to reach the next level.
When asked what he needs to add to his game, he said, “I haven't really thought about it because I've been practicing a lot.''
“If I don't have anything to work on, I create a flaw to work on and perfect it. It would help if I could get in the ring more and try different styles.
“Obviously I come from an amateur background so I already know all the styles, but I put on little eight-ounce gloves and do 10 to 12 three-minute rounds. That's the only difference.
“I have never fought a pressure fighter like Berio before. You have to be calm and patient there. Once you show patience, everything will be fine.”
And it's easy to be patient when someone like Mercado is active and busy, hustling regularly, staying in the gym, and preparing for calls for potentially life-changing opportunities. . That means always being in shape for when the phone rings. There can be no wrong move in the world of free agency.
“Of course, if I fail, it will have a huge impact on what I want to do and achieve,” Mercado admitted. “I know I have to stay sharp and ready.
“Many of those people [other fighters] Drink, party, things like that. I'm the type of fighter who likes to live in the gym. Even if I have a week or two off from training, I'm always watching boxing and thinking about boxing. I have always integrated myself into sports.
“Once you get into elite competition, everyone is skilled and has power and speed. It's the little differences, like living in the gym and thinking and learning about boxing.
“When they're out partying or drinking and I'm at the gym. It gives me the edge and energy to succeed. They might be in 'camp' within a few weeks, but The fact that they keep going out there and drinking it while I concentrate at the gym [and it] It gives you that little edge to succeed. ”
Life was made easier with his father and trainer Ernesto Mercado Sr. coaching him in the corner and in the gym. Freddy Fundora, father of world champions Sebastian and Gabriella, said last week that outside of boxing the fighters are his children, but in the ring they are athletes.
How does Mercado think his father viewed him on game night?
“I think he's an athlete. I've never asked him a question like that before,” Mercado continued.
“I've been doing this job for a long time and we're very professional as a team. I don't have any emotions because I know we're both there for work. I know that my father sees me as a son. I think it's difficult to give direction because there are emotions involved. If the emotions are too strong, you lose that connection and you can't think the same way.
“My dad is always spot on with strategy, so I can trust him to make sure I continue to be an athlete.”
Mercado believes his future was planned long before alternatives to boxing arose. This was destined to happen. It's in our blood and now it's our lifestyle, our work, our habits.
“I'm sure I could have gone to school and gotten a degree in something, but when I was four years old I knew I wanted to box professionally. Boxing was always the thing for me.”
Mercado will defend himself again against Berrio on Friday in Houston. In the future, he could move up to 147, but his dream is to win the title at 140, make a few defenses, then step up and write his name in the history books alongside the fighters he respects. is. Ray Leonard, Roy Jones, Alexis Arguero, Salvador Sanchez, and more.
“Yes,” Mercado concluded. “There are a lot of big fights out there, but some promoters don't do fights because their opponents are across the street and they don't cooperate with each other.
“In my case, I can fight on Amazon Prime, DAZN, ESPN, anywhere, and get through that without getting into conflict and being torn apart by promoters who don't want to work with each other. In that sense, it worked out perfectly. You did.”
