Tagoe weighed 150 pounds at the commission weigh-in, egregiously missing the limit by 10 pounds for his scheduled 10-round bout at junior welterweight against Mercado (19-0, 18 KOs). Given the weight disparity, the fight was ultimately called off.

Mercado-Tagoe was scheduled as the co-main event for Claressa Shields' bout with unified middleweight champion Kaye Scott at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on DAZN.

The cancellation marks the fourth time in 2½ years Mercado has had a bout called off. Victoriano Santillan missed weight by 14 pounds in February 2024 and Jesus Saracho missed the mark by seven pounds 10 months later.

Mercado also withdrew one week in advance from a fight in June 2025 after suffering an injury.

Mercado, 24, was going to make his debut with Salita Promotions after signing with the promotional company last month. The Californian was supposed to make a quick turnaround after scoring a second-round stoppage of Juan Carlos Burgos on June 19.

Mercado’s victory made him the first fighter to stop Burgos and was his eighth straight win by knockout.

Tagoe (34-2, 16 KOs), of Accra, Ghana, was set to enter the ring after a nearly one-year layoff. He last fought on August 31, beating Modibo Keita by unanimous decision in a 10-round junior welterweight bout in Ghana.

Tagoe’s most significant fight came in April 2022, when he lost a one-sided unanimous decision to since-crowned WBC welterweight titleholder Ryan Garcia.