Local Pugilist Wins Professional Debut

ATLANTIC CITY — A local boxer won his professional debut over the weekend.
Cape May Regional High School graduate Josh Mercado scored a unanimous decision over Philadelphia fighter Terrell Boggs Aug. 8 in the Grand Ballroom at Bally’s Atlantic City.
“I couldn’t be happier with Josh’s performance,” Mercado’s trainer Conn McMullan told the Herald after the fight. “He did everything I asked of him. He fought an aggressive fight.”
McMullan said Mercado was successfully “sinking body shots” on Boggs and “working his jab effectively.” He won every round but dominated the last two rounds of the four-round match.
The hometown fighter had a large contingency in the audience chanting “Mercado, Mercado” as he worked his opponent. McMullan said they sold about 150 tickets to the event.
Mercado isn’t getting a long vacation after his debut. McMullan said he would be back in the gym today working on his jab, defense and getting to the body earlier.
“There are some fighters out there you can hit in the head all night and they’ll just keep coming,” said McMullan, a former professional boxer from Ireland.
According to McMulan, Mercado really looked the part in his first fight.
“It can sometimes be an adjustment moving from amateur to pro fighting without the headgear and using smaller gloves, but Josh really shone,” McMullan said. “He looked very comfortable out there.”
Mercado’s win was one of several exciting bouts on the fight card that night, McMullan said. In the main event, undefeated Philadelphia welterweight Mike Jones won a decision over Lenin Arroyo of Miami. Among other fights, Ronald Cruz, of Bethlehem, Pa., won a technical knockout over Philadelphia’s Julias Edmonds. As amateurs, Mercado and Cruz split two previous fights, McMullan said.
“It was a great show and a great value for those who came out,” he said.
According to McMullan, Mercado did so well in his debut, that he’s been approached by a matchmaker to participate in a Sept. 19 Atlantic City fight night that will be a tribute to recently deceased boxer Arturo Gatti.
Information on purchasing tickets for that event will be forthcoming, McMullan said.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com