His most recent outing came in December, when Mercado knocked out veteran Antonio Moran in the sixth round to capture the WBO International title. The victory extended his streak of stoppage wins and helped move him into the sanctioning-body rankings, where he now holds the No. 7 position with the WBO and No. 8 with the IBF.
Those placements give Mercado a foothold in a division that currently includes several champions and a deep group of contenders pursuing title opportunities. Fighters climbing through the rankings often have to wait for openings while the belts circulate among established names and scheduled defenses.
Shakur Stevenson currently holds the WBO title at 140 pounds after defeating Teofimo Lopez earlier this year, while Richardson Hitchins controls the IBF belt. Other contenders continue competing for position as the division gradually sorts out its next round of championship fights.
Mercado has spent the past year pushing his name toward that group of fighters. The California native has mentioned several of the division’s leading names in interviews and has made clear that his goal is to secure a world title fight during the next stage of his career.
Mercado fights aggressively and has stopped 17 of his first 18 opponents.
Promotional backing could also influence how quickly those opportunities arrive. Mercado fights under the Matchroom banner, giving promoter Eddie Hearn another unbeaten contender to move through the crowded 140-pound picture as the division’s title fights continue rotating.
At 23, Mercado is one of the younger contenders beginning to move into the title picture at super lightweight.
For now, the focus remains on continuing the run of victories that has carried him this far. If the performances continue and the title picture begins to move later this year, Mercado could soon find himself sharing the ring with one of the champions he has spent the past year targeting.
Read the full article here
