It’s not that Israel Mercado is resigned to his place in boxing, but as he endures a nearly year-long absence from the ring at age 30, he understands patience is required.

Although he’s ranked No. 9 in the WBA ratings under titleholder Gary Antuanne Russell and possesses the WBA-aligned NABA belt at 140lbs, Mercado, 13-1-2 (7 KOs) has been relegated to a string of B-side bouts and subjected to last-minute replacement requests.

So while the sport’s top power brokers have swarmed to make pitches to Ernesto “Tito” Mercado – a new free agent and Israel’s also-ranked 140lbs nephew – Israel has moved at a more deliberate pace.

Advised by veteran fight figure Robert Diaz, Israel Mercado might be best known for taking a fight on two weeks’ notice and giving hell to Leo Rubalcava, the prospect and pupil of famed trainer Robert Garcia, in their January 2025 fight.

Garcia tore into Rubalcava to match Mercado’s energy during the viral bout that ended in a disputed draw – and which many felt Mercado won.

“I’m not like the other B-side opponents who just go for the payday,” Israel Mercado told BoxingScene outside his gym in Upland, California. “I’m here to win.”

Diaz additionally proposed Mercado as the replacement opponent for ranked welterweight contender Raul Curiel when Alexis Rocha had problems with the weight cut in January, but a cheaper opponent on the same card was used instead.

“I was going to be ready within a day to bump up to 147, and I was going to win. … It gets very frustrating at times, but that’s been my story: the underdog,” Israel Mercado said. “I came from the B-side, came up with no promoter, no manager. But I’m a gym rat. I’m always here, always training.”

The most logical path for Israel Mercado is to move toward belt holder Russell, who fights for Premier Boxing Champions and would create a meeting featuring some of the sport’s most impressive families given that Russell’s brother, Gary Jnr, is a former featherweight titlist and his other brother, Gary Rodrigo Russell, is an accomplished pro.

Two other nephews of Israel are boxers.

“[Tito], he’s a beast, and it’s cool we’re both ranked,” Israel Mercado said. “It’s in our blood.”

He credits advisor Diaz for preserving his ranking during the layoff and communicating with all the parties to unearth the best offer.

In addition to the PBC path toward Russell, there’s a push for Israel Mercado to fight Top Rank’s 2025 prospect of the year, Emiliano Vargas.

“They’ve been feeding him guppies,” Mercado said of Vargas. “Trust me, I’d be the toughest fighter he’s ever faced.”

For now, as promoters including Top Rank recently finalized a new broadcast deal, Israel Mercado said “playing it by ear” and “going with the flow” by remaining ready to fight are all he can do.

Balancing the work during this period is inexact.

“I listen to my body,” Mercado said. “I took last week off after a hard week. I’m 30, so I have to be careful and have to make sure I start camp at the right time.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.