Tito Mercado Plans On Taking Out The Top Names

Unbeaten junior welterweight prospect Ernesto “Tito” Mercado has aspirations of becoming an all-time great and a household name.

But what the 21-year-old vows not to do is become a social media figure.

Tito Mercado has great ambitions to face and defeat the big talents in the lightweight division, including unified champion Devin Haney. Photo: Rayal Navarrette, South Paw Photography

Mercado of Pomona, California (10-0, 10 KOs) has his next gig lined up on Saturday, July 8.  Mercado risks his perfect record for his first bout outside the U.S. in Nicaragua against South Africa’s Xolisani Ndongeni.

Known as “Nomeva The Wasp,” Ndongeni (31-2, 18 KOs) has won five in a row. While the 33-year-old lacks marquee names on his résumé, he does have one that stands out: undisputed lightweight world champion Devin Haney. They fought for a pair of secondary belts in June 2019 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Haney shut him out on two of three scorecards en route to a 10-round unanimous decision victory.

Mercado will fight in his father’s home nation and as a free agent looking to impress promoters looking for lightweight talent.

Mercado Stays Focused

Lightweight Tito Mercado is focused on fighting, not so much followers. Photo: Rayal Navarrette, South Paw Photography

Promoting your brand is a necessity, but like everything else in life, there must be a balance. Some fighters spend more time on Instagram and TikTok than sharpening their tools in the gym, to the chagrin of their trainers. Mercado considers himself an old-school fighter.

“I’m more focused on my craft,” said Mercado. “I know that nowadays social media [plays] a big part. I definitely want to [prioritize] boxing. Once I go into that ring, [social media] is not gonna save me from what I should have been doing the whole time.

“I definitely have always been a student of the game. A lot of the fighters I looked up to, they were all about their business, all about fighting, so that’s the way I am,” said Mercado.

Mercado has been devoted for 17 years to boxing. He put on his first pair of gloves when he was four years old while his father/trainer Ernesto Sr. worked with his uncle. The duo remains a force to this day.

Hall of Fame former two-division world champion Timothy Bradley Jr. recently called for father-son partnerships to be banned in boxing. Mercado disagreed with his assessment, noting that not all relationships are identical.

Hall of Famer and ESPN commentator Timothy Bradley Jr. recently said fathers should not train their sons as professional boxers. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

“I heard that Bradley had a relationship with his father as well. I think he used to be his trainer. I’m not 100% sure how true that is, but I’m guessing he had a bad experience with that,” Mercado stated. “I think to each is their own.

“My father and I, we get along really well. We know how to apply our rules. When it’s time to get in the gym, we keep it professional and stick to that. When we get home, we know how to switch our relationship to being family. I wouldn’t switch it for anything in the world. We know how to apply our rules, and nothing gets confused when we’re in there. We’re doing our job.”

Stepping Up In Opposition Saturday

Xolisani Ndongeni hung tough, but Devin Haney’s skill set is of a higher caliber.

Although Ndongeni lost his bout with Haney, Mercado felt he gave Haney a challenging fight.

“I felt like he gave him a fight that was a little difficult,” he explained. “He gave him some problems and drew him into his fight. He moves a lot, and he throws a lot of looping punches. He’s just a tough guy. He’s gonna throw these weird shots from different angles. If I’m not on my A-game, he can definitely throw me off. I felt like he threw Devin Haney off.”

Mercado intends to prevent Ndongeni from establishing his game plan. “The jab is gonna have to be a big part of it, a lot of feints, and definitely knowing when I’m in the line of fire and when I’m not.

“I definitely have to use my distance accordingly, and I can’t throw a combination and get too confident and leave my head up and get caught with a shot. I have to know my distance. Like I said, this guy throws looping shots. Sometimes I feel like those are probably the most dangerous shots in boxing because sometimes you don’t see them.”

Tito Mercado has a perfect record of ten wins and no losses, with all ten coming by knockout. Photo: Rayal Navarrette, South Paw Photography

Talk to Mercado for any duration, and you’ll realize he has a stone-cold demeanor. That’s a good thing to have in a sport that requires complete focus for longevity. While the top stars can be inactive, Mercado wants to be the change.

Unlike a politician issuing empty promises, Mercado plans on executing his objective. He fought five times in 2022 and has already fought twice this year. Mercado expects to finish the year with roughly the same level of activity. He explained to NY Fights how he stands out from other fighters.

“Nowadays, it’s all about money for a lot of fighters. But for me, it’s more about legacy. It seems like a lot of fighters in my division are talking a big game, so when the time comes we’re gonna see what that’s really about.

“When people are saying, ‘This guy is the next Floyd Mayweather or this is the next [big name],’ that’s the guys I want to take out. I just want to take out the top, top, top names. Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis, those are the guys I want to take out next.”