Boxing
Ernesto Mercado makes Deiner Berrio quit, calls out 'Pitbull' Cruz
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Ernesto Mercado was looking for a step up in competition against Deiner Berrio.
Instead, he directed one-way traffic and got a Berrio who refused to engage for three rounds. Berrio quit on his stool 10 seconds into the fourth round, crediting Mercado with a TKO victory at the Red Owl Boxing Arena in Houston, and live on DAZN, on Friday night.
From the opening round it was clear that Berrio was content maintaining an airtight guard on defense, while hardly throwing punches on offense. Mercado used that as an invitation to assert a power jab and make early deposits to Berrio's body.
He would tee off on Berrio over the next two rounds, hitting the Colombian veteran wherever he could — whether the midsection, face and sometimes even settling on his arms.
After taking the punishment without showing any resistance, Berrio refused to answer the bell for the fourth round as Mercado improved to 15-0 with 14 KOs, although he was disappointed about his latest win.
"I think he came over here to just play around," Mercado told DAZN after the fight. "He didn't throw no punches, he quit on his stool. I tried to give the fans a good fight. I came forward, I threw good punches but there's only so much I could do."
Still, the 22-year-old Mercado believes he has now shed his prospect status and has segued into being a contender, even calling out newly-crowned WBA super lightweight world champion Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz for a title shot.
Mercado has little doubt "Pitbull" would engage vigorously, adding that the clash would make for a "dope-ass fight."
"I want to get the top guys in the ring with me — the world champions, the top contenders," he said, "I think I'm ready."
Here's how the entire Mercado-Berrio main card went.
