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The main event on Saturday’s DAZN card from Long Beach, California was to be a light heavyweight bout between Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and famed veteran Gabriel Rosado. Ramirez couldn’t bring himself to gain weight, however, and so that fight was cancelled. This proved to be good news for Joseph Diaz, 32-3-1, and Mauricio Gesta, 33-3-3, as their scheduled ten-round junior welterweight affair was moved to main event status.
Gesta had a good first, using speed, aggression and impressive footwork to upstage his man. Diaz applied pressure in the second, but Gesta’s activity rate told the story of the round. However, Diaz started landing and landing well in the third. With his opponent on the ropes, Diaz was able to do some serious work. Gesta was definitely returning fire, but Diaz was clearly getting the upper hand.
Both men actively traded in the fourth. Gesta got his punches together well in the fifth, while Diaz continued to stalk. Gesta’s movement essentially told the story of the sixth, although Diaz certainly had his moments. The seventh was close, although Diaz could have passed him with impressive aggression. Gesta remained surprisingly effective with his footwork in the eighth considering the fight was now moving into the final rounds. Diaz fought his way through the ninth, appearing to outrun him with powerful shots. Both men let it all end in the tenth.
Gesta ended up winning by split decision, even though the judge’s cards were, as DAZN’s broadcast team put it, “all over the place.”
