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Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) wanted to make a statement in his Matchroom Boxing debut and he did just that. It only took four rounds for Mercado to knock out Jose Pedraza (29-7-1, 14 KOs) at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV.

The opening round was all Mercado as he dictated the pace with his left jab and straight right hand. Pedraza was doing a ton of feinting but not throwing many punches. Mercado threw a few “shoeshine” combinations which got a rise out of the crowd.

Pedraza stepped up his punch output in the second round, but Mercado easily saw the punches coming, so he didn’t get caught with anything cleanly. Mercado kept his combinations fluid and just outside of mid-range so that Pedraza wouldn’t have the opportunity to counter.

In the third round, Mercado showed his patience and precision as he landed the straight right hand on Pedraza’s body and head. Mercado was in complete control of the fight through the first three rounds. Mercado landed a cupping right hand behind Pedraza’s ear in the fourth round, which sent him crashing down to the canvas. Pedraza got up, but the referee felt he could not continue, so he stopped the fight.

Afterward, Mercado called for a fight against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, who was in attendance.

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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