Venezuelan champion confirms his class with his Cuban coach

There could not be a cut on Jorge Linares' face. The Venezuelan proved to be at an excellent moment by winning on Saturday night over Philippine Mercito Gesta in a fight without major complications and leaving everything ready for a major crash.

Guided by the wise hand of Cuban Ismael Salas, Linares (44-3,27 KO) brought out the best leaves of his life book in the ring to overcome a fiery rival who came looking for surprise and could only take two or three rounds.

The ballots of the three judges at the Forum in Inglewood, California, were 117-111,118-110 and 118-110 for the Venezuelan who was confirmed as champion of the 135 pounds and is situated in the conversation around figures like Vasyl Lomachenko and Mikey Garcia.

Gesta (31-2-2,17 KO) left impetuously to the sound of the bell and won the first round, but then Salas managed to get Linares back to the fight plan and from the second round onwards passed to carry the rhyme of the action.

If the Philippine demonstrated anything, it was the harshness of his jaw, because Linares - an elbow cut his face - hit him with everything in his arsenal and never managed to endanger him, so in the second half of the fight was content to continue adding assaults and ensure victory.

Always forward, throwing the first blow and with good torso movements, Linares turned out to be a much superior warrior, while Salas from the corner advised him with phrases of "my son, now we're going to do this... my son, now we're going to do the other thing".

Before the fight, Gesta's coach and former Linares coach Freddie Roach had predicted that Gesta was going to demolish the Venezuelan, but he did not take into account the opponent's growth since falling twice in 2012 against Antonio DeMarco and Sergio Thompson.

Since that time, when Salas reached his corner, Linares has won 13 consecutive matches, won the World Association title and raised his level enormously.

Garcia, Lomachenko or a rematch against Luke Campbell -coached by Cuban Jorge Rubio-, any opponent who places him in front of Linares will make a fight to suck his fingers.