ANCAJAS BACK IN TRAINING FOR SULTAN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 06 Mar 2018
Jerwin Ancajas once again keeps himself busy in training after he was being notified that he will probably be fighting in a mandatory defense of the IBF super-flyweight belt on April 14 in Las Vegas.
?We are on standby because there is a possibility that my next defense will be in April and not in June as I had been told,? Ancajas was quoted by Nick Giongco of Manila Bulletin.
Ancajas buckled down to work in his so-called Survival Training Camp in Magallanes, Cavite with his manager-trainer Joven Jimenez.
The Panabo City-born world titlist is obliged to perform a mandatory defense against the top contender countryman Jonas Sultan of the Cebu-based ALA Boxing Promotions.
Sultan likewise has also been preparing in the gym readying himself for his first world title shot. He had an upset victory over former world champion Johnriel Casimero last year to earn the title fight.
Ancajas just came from successfully defending his IBF junior bantamweight crown in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he stopped Mexico's Israel Gonzalez in the 10th round.
Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. is staging the world welterweight title fight starring Australian champion Jeff Horn and American challenger Terence Crawford.
The Top Rank contest was supposed to include Manny Pacquiao as co-feature but the fighting senator preferred to explore possible matches without Arum?s guidance and is reportedly arranging a deal to fight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May.
Jimenez said US-based boxing agent Sean Gibbons stated that he will know this week if Ancajas and Sultan are clashing with each other in what will be the first all-Filipino world title fight in 93 years after the Pancho Villa versus Clever Sencio world flyweight championship in 1925.
The IBF superflyweight titlist was one of the three sports personalities, together with bowler Krizziah Lyn Tabora and billiards player Carlo Biado, honored by the Philippine Sportswriters Association as the Athlete of the Year. This prompted again scribes and fans alike to compare him to his idol and co-promoter, four-time Athlete of the Year Manny Pacquiao.
?I don?t mind the comparisons because it?s an honor to be compared to him,? said Ancajas as quoted by inquirer.net . ?But no one in the Philippines and in the world can match to what sir Manny has accomplished,? he added.
Ancajas, who is fresh from his stunning defense of the belt last month in Corpus Christi, Texas, even went to as far as saying that ?the next Manny Pacquiao has not been born yet."
According to promoter Bob Arum, it will be quite difficult for Ancajas to attain the stage of success Pacquiao has reached. Still the Hall of Fame boxing promoter believes Ancajas has the potential for greatness like the eight-division world champion.
?If he (Ancajas) will be able to achieve mini-half of what Manny has achieved, I?d be very happy,? said Arum, who signed the IBF champ to a six-fight contract for Top Rank Promotions.
Ancajas caught Arum?s attention when he stopped Japanese Teiru Kinoshita in the second defense of his junior bantamweight title. He fought in the undercard of Pacquiao?s loss of his WBO welterweight crown to Jeff Horn in Brisbane, Australia, last July.
?He?s a really nice kid. Humble and kind just like Manny. And he could really fight," described Arum of his fighter as quoted as ABS-CBN. ?His life story is somewhat epic like Manny and is dedicated as a fighter. He has the Manny pedigree.?
If Ancajas gets an impressive win, Arum has big plans for MP Promotions? first world champion. Aside from high-paying purses, Top Rank is aiming a fight for him against the best of the superflyweight division like WBO champion Naoya Inoue of Japan and WBC titlist Srisaket Sor Runvisai of Thailand or even former pound-for-pound king Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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