ANCAJAS' THREE POSSIBLE OPPONENTS FOR STARDOM - YAFAI, SOR RUNGVISAI OR GONZALEZ
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 22 Nov 2017
Jerwin Ancajas? last three fights are held outside the Philippines such as in Macau, Australia and the UK, and he is fast becoming an international star. The IBF superflyweight champion gained worldwide attention when he demolished Jamie Conlan before his shocked hometown crowd. The 25-year-old Cavite-based champ is opening opportunities for him to shine in the booming and exciting 115-lb. division. A planned "Superfly 2" promotion is in the drawing boards possibly in February 24.
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And if everything will go right, an American debut for Ancajas is not far-fetched. Selecting his next opponent and defeating him, could be the key to worldwide stardom for Jerwin Ancajas. Experts choose three possible fighters whom Ancajas could face and a victory over one of them in his next fight could lift him to the limelight following the footsteps of his idol eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao. The three possible big-time foes are Kal Yafai, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, and Roman Gonzalez.
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Ancajas fighting WBA super flyweight champion Kal Yafai would be a blockbuster particularly the British crowd. Jerwin, who has held his title just three months more than Yafai, became an instant celebrity among UK fans with the beating of Conlan. Two of Yafai's last three fights were on Anthony Joshua undercards, Yafai has gained the exposure he needed. Their unification which could occur in the early 2018, Ancajas and Yafai could rake in the money because of the boxers' exposure.
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With his back-to-back victories over the popular former pound-for-pound contender Roman Gonzalez, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai had his star shining brightly as he grabbed then defended his WBC belt. With the Thai champion slated to fight Juan Francisco Estrada on the "Superfly 2" boxing card in February, Ancajas may wait for the proper time for this unification bout. However a fight against the winner of Rungvisai-Estrada match in the summer could be a big possibility.
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Roman Gonzalez could be Ancajas' possible opponent for the "Superfly 2.'" Gonzalez has sunk deeper after his back-to-back world title defeats, and Ancajas could provide "Chocolatito" with a needed revitalization. Many believed Gonzalez, who just turned 30, is going on a downtrend. Fighting Ancajas could be a booster to Gonzalez's sagging reputation. An Anacajas-Gonzalez co-feature could be an added attraction to the popular promotion at the superflyweight division.
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Jerwin Ancajas had one of his dreams coming true when world middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez watched the defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight title against Jamie Conlan. He impressed the audience even the Irish fans, including Alvarez, dropping Conlan four times. Ancajas is an avid Canelo fan, said his trainer Joven Jimenez. So they followed Canelo in Belfast and they had a photo taken with the Mexican boxing idol.
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Carl Frampton called his performance mediocre but it was a victory anyway. ?The performance was mediocre but a win is a win and I move on,? said the former two-division world champion, who has swollen face and two cuts after a 10 round tussle with Mexican Horacio Garcia. He climbed the ring after 10 months of inactivity and engaged in a bloody match in Belfast and it fueled the Irish fighter?s clamor to be back to the world title scene.
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Some analysts have the opinion that the fight lasting the distance indicated that Frampton is on a slide. But for him it was just a matter of adjustment having been off for a while. ?I just got hit a bit too much that?s all...I like to impress the fans as well but I didn?t expect to be coming out with a face like this," said Frampton who got a 98-93, 97-93 and 96-93 unanimous win. "He was a tough guy, the shots were bouncing off his head...Everybody went away thinking it was a good fight and I got the win."
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First-round knockouts in world title fights are seldom seen. But Zolani Tete established a record Saturday night as the WBO bantamweight champion threw onoy one punch and scored an 11-second knockout of Siboniso Gonya. It was the quickest KO in boxing history in a world title fight. According London?s Daily Mirror, South Africa?s Tete broke the record of 17 seconds set by retired two-division champion Daniel Jimenez of Puerto Rico.
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It took Jimenez just 17 seconds to knock out then undefeated Harald Grier in their WBO bantamweight title fight in September 1994 in Domplatz, Austria. South African Gonya (11-2, 5 KOs) was never been KO'd in his career but tasted it when Tete (26-3, 21 KOs) threw a quick right hook that decked Gonya who became unconscious. It was on the Carl Frampton-Horacio Garcia and Ancajas-Conlan undercard at SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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Medical personnel attended to Gonya before he recovered consciousness in five minutes. Though Tete?s savage knockout of Gonya last Saturday night was the fastest in world title fights, but it was not the fastest knockout in his pro career. Tete achieved a 10-second knockout of Xolile Ngemntu in a scheduled six-round fight in August 19, 2008 in London. Tete scored 13 of his 21 knockouts in the first round, although mostly against mediocre opponents.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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