SULTAN IS UNFAZED BY UNDERDOG TAG AGAINST ANCAJAS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 05 May 2018
The intended junior bantamweight title unification match between IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas and WBA titlist Britain?s Khalid Yafai seems to favor the Filipino world champion.
But for head trainer Edito Villamor, it might be an ordeal for Ancajas who will stake his belt against Jonas Sultan for the IBF junior bantamweight championship in Fresno, California on May 26. Villamor was quoted by ABS-CBN saying Ancajas is making plans even if he and Sultan have not fought yet and it could be disadvantageous to the reigning champ.
?Maybe it could affect his psyche the idea of a title unification, maybe it could put pressure on him,? Villamor said. ?Surely it's an advantage for us.?
Villamor emphasized that Sultan is not affected or annoyed by such report, adding that being an underdog is nothing new to Sultan.
The ALA Gym fighter was the dark horse against former WBC flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro and former IBF flyweight and lightflyweight champion Johnriel Casimero.
Sultan defeated Jaro by 8th round KO to retain his IBF intercontinental junior bantamweight title last May 2017. The Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte fighter upset Casimero last September 2017 by unanimous decision.
Villamor said that Sultan must only concentrate on his preparation and brush aside the rumors circulating.
?We just focus on our training and make it sure that we properly follow the training program,? said Villamor.
?I have done everything that is needed in training,? said Sultan as quoted by Nick Giongco of Manila Bulletin. Sultan will stay in the US for four weeks to accclimatize himself and train at the world famous Wild Card Gym.
Sultan (14-3-0, 9 KOs) declares that he is ready to rumble against Ancajas (29-1-1, 20 KOs) in the first All-Filipino world title fight in almost a century.
?No problem. I feel great and everything is being handled by my trainers, including my sparring and weight,? said Sultan. ?Jerwin?s the only one standing in my way."
Ancajas indeed is a major stumbling block having stopped three challengers in Mexico's Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in Macau, Japan's Teiru Kinoshita in Brisbane and Northern Ireland?s Jamie Conlan in Belfast all in 2017, and last February, he thwarted another Mexican Israel Gonzalez in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Ancajas is set to earn $120,000 or P6.3 million in the Sultan defense, according to his match maker Sean Gibbons as told to Joaquin Henson of The Philippine Star. This is high above the $3,700 purse he got when he first won his title from Puerto Rico?s McJoe Arroyo in September 2016.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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