ANCAJAS STILL RULES THE WORLD AS HE HUMBLES CONLAN IN BELFAST
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 19 Nov 2017
IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (28-1-1, 19 KOs) successfully defended his title with a sixth round stoppage of Jamie Conlan (19-1, 11 KOs), who was dropped four times before he suffered his first career loss. Just two minutes into the first round, Ancajas floored Conlan, as he seemed to be suffering a leg injury, he got up and continued fighting. In the second round, Conlan suffered a severe cut around his left eye from the collision of heads.
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In the third round, Ancajas threw strong head and body punches on the Irishman, as Conlan went down again in pain. He was able to make it to his feet. He was battered some more to the body and managed to survive the round. Near the end of the fourth round, Conlan was floored for a third time with punches unleashed by Ancajas to the body. In the fifth, Ancajas was deducted a point for an alleged low blow that sent Conlan down to his knees. Near the end of the round, Conlan again almost went down from another hard shot.
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Jamie Conlan (R) of Norther Ireland punches the canvas in frustration after he was knocked down repeatedly by Jerwin Ancajas of the Philippines during their IBF world title fight Saturday night in Belfast. Photo by Sumio Yamada.
In the sixth, Conlan was dropped for a fourth time from a right hand to the side of the head. And this time referee Steve Gray stopped the contest to prevent further punishment of the "Irish Gatti" before thousands of home fans. Both Ancajas and Conlan weighed in at 115 pounds for the fight. Ancajas has never been down, Conlan went down at least five times, but one was ruled out due to a low blow. Both fighters have been 12 rounds just once before the match.
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The only loss in Ancajas? eight-year pro career was handed by an unknown Mark Anthony Geraldo of Bukidnon in March 2012. Ancajas would likely easily defeat him if they face each other now. During the time Ancajas fought Geraldo, he was only 20-years-old and still very far from the quality of a fighter he is at present. Ancajas is the second best fighter in their division right now behind only WBO champion Naoya Inoue. Ancajas might target Srisaket Sor Rungvisai or Khalid Yafai to unify the superflyweight division.
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"We were very afraid," Ancajas' trainer and manager Joven Jimenez was quoted by Rappler about the point deduction. "I gave the instruction: no more body punches." MP Promotions matchmaker Sean Gibbons hinted before the fight that Ancajas will be heading to the United States for his next fight. Jimenez says he expects Ancajas' next fight to be in February, and is hoping for a unification bout with WBO champion Naoya Inoue.
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Earlier, Paddy Barnes' record remained unbeaten in 5-0 with a sixth-round stoppage against Eliecer Quezada to win the vacant WBO intercontinental flyweight title. The 30-year old bronze medalist at the 2008 and 2012 London Olympic Games, landed a precised body shot sending Quezada to the canvas. WBO world bantamweight champion Zolani Tete successfully defended his title in knocking out Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds with just the first punch of the match.
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In the main event, Carl Frampton defeated Horacio Garcia via a unanimous decision as Mexican star Saul "Canelo" Alvarez watched ringside in Belfast. Frampton, 30, was awarded the unanimous decision win after judges scored Saturday's fight 98-93, 97-93 and 96-93 in favor of the Northern Irishman. However, it was a not so impressive performance from Frampton in his return to boxing since losing the WBA featherweight title to Leo Santa Cruz in Las Vegas in January.
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Frampton was knocked down by his Mexican foe in the seventh round and again in the ninth. Garcia's barrage of punches rained in but Frampton, rallied, survived and emerged victorious on the scorecards. "I thought it was a good fight and everyone would have enjoyed that more than me," Frampton was quoted by Yahoo Sports. "I was boxing lovely at the start then I let him drag me into a fight. I wanted it to be a hard fight, that has got the rust off, the cobwebs have gone and I want one of the big boys."
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Former unified heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, 41, recently posted a video of himself back in the ring. "It's my first boxing workout in almost a half a year out and you know what, I feel I?ve still got it. Maybe I?ll wait a couple of years and say I still got it and return like George Foreman did into his mid-40s," Klitschko said. He told BBC in an interview: "I?m totally happy where I am, what I am and where I?m going... I?ll wait a couple of years and say I still got it and I feel like coming back.
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"The Klitschko Brothers, Vitali (born July 19, 1971) and Wladimir (born March 25, 1976), are Ukrainian heavyweight boxers. After the retirement of Lennox Lewis, they held all heavyweight boxing world titles. Vitali, retired from boxing in 2013 and became a politician in his native Ukraine. Upon his retirement, Vitali gave up the WBC world heavyweight title. Wladimir continued to successfully defend the WBA, IBF, WBO, The Ring and lineal titles until he was defeated by Tyson Fury in 2015.
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