Arum predicts big things for Ancajas
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 29 Sep 2018
OAKLAND. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has big plans for IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas and expects nothing less than an impressive performance in his sixth title defense against Mexican Alejandro Santiago at the Oracle Arena here this morning (Manila time).
?Jerwin didn?t put on a spectacular show in his last defense against (Jonas) Sultan,? said Arum. ?That?s understandable. I don?t think it?s a smart idea to pit two Filipinos against each other. Jerwin didn?t want to beat up Sultan so the fight wasn?t as exciting as it could?ve been. It?ll be different against Santiago. Jerwin hopes to unify the superflyweight championship and (Srisaket Sor) Rungvisai is his next target. Top Rank has the resources to make that fight happen next year.?
Arum said Ancajas personifies the new breed of young champions taking over the sport. ?Honestly, I don?t know too much about Santiago,? he said. ?We hold some 30 shows a year and bring in 24 to 30 more shows from overseas to air on our media platforms. That?s keeping me busier than ever. So I don?t really have time to go over tape and watch every fighter in our shows. I?ve got my matchmakers who do that and they do a great job. I show up at the fights and enjoy the action. I?m sure Jerwin?s fight against Santiago will be as exciting as his fight against (Israel) Gonzalez.?
Arum wouldn?t call Ancajas the second coming of Manny Pacquiao but nodded his head when it was suggested that the IBF champion appears to be a cross between Luisito Espinosa and Gerry Penalosa. ?2019 will be a big year for Jerwin,? said Arum. ?But let?s see what he shows against Santiago before we move forward.?
Staging the fight at the Oracle Arena suits Ancajas, said Arum. ?There were no venues available in San Francisco but we found the Oracle Arena where the Golden State Warriors play,? he said. ?There?s a big Filipino community in Oakland and Jerwin has a big fan following in the Bay Area.?
Last Tuesday, Ancajas visited Balboa High School in San Francisco and spoke to over 100 students of Filipino descent taking Pilipino as a second language. An audio-visual of Ancajas? life, taken from an ESPN5 documentary, was shown in the auditorium to introduce the champion to the students. Ancajas, who finished only up to second year of high school in Panabo, said the visit reminded him of his student days and how he missed campus life. In an inspiring message, he called out student-athletes and encouraged them to work hard, dream big and be confident in trying to accomplish their goals.
Las Vegas-based international matchmaker Sean Gibbons said Ancajas is pumped up to deliver a convincing win. But Santiago, who?s a fight-alike of former world flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada, can?t be taken lightly. Estrada is as tough as nails and has lost only thrice, all on points, to Rungvisai on a majority verdict, Chocolatito Gonzalez and Juan Carlos Sanchez. Santiago is known to be a shifty, clever, in-and-out counterpuncher who likes attacking the body. Like Estrada, Santiago has lost only on points.
?Jerwin can?t afford to lose,? said Ancajas? trainer Joven Jimenez in Pilipino. ?So much is at stake. Losing isn?t an option. He has a new baby, his family is growing. We?re not finished building our gym and dorm in Cavite. Whatever it takes to win, Jerwin will do. If Santiago fights from a distance, he?ll close the gap. If Santiago engages, he?ll exchange. Jerwin will be aggressive. He will win this fight.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 18 JANUARY 2026: Nikita Tszyu-Michael Zerafa End in No Contest; Raul Curiel Outpoints Jordan Panthen
By Eric Armit, Mon, 19 Jan 2026Ryan Daye ready for WBC title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
Mon, 19 Jan 2026RAUL “EL CUGÁR” CURIEL CRUISES TO UNANIMOUS DECISION WIN OVER JORDAN “THE PATRIOT” PANTHEN
Sat, 17 Jan 2026Weights from Philadelphia
Sat, 17 Jan 2026Mexico Commemorates 12th Death Anniversary of Don Jose Sulaiman (Photos)
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 17 Jan 2026MOLLY McCANN EYES 'HUGE' STATEMENT START TO 2026 AS SHE JOINS BUMPER WOOD-WARINGTON CARD IN NOTTINGHAM ON FEBRUARY 21
Sat, 17 Jan 2026NEW MAIN EVENT ANNOUNCED! RAUL CURIEL SCHEDULED TO FACE JORDAN PANTHEN IN MIDDLEWEIGHT SCRAP
Fri, 16 Jan 2026SMALLS VS RAMOS TOPS STACKED UNDERCARD FOR NAVARRETE-NUNEZ BLOCKBUSTER IN GLENDALE
Fri, 16 Jan 2026Usyk Linked to Zuffa Boxing Deal as Questions Loom Over Title Defenses
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Fri, 16 Jan 2026Abass Baraou: "No One Has Been Able to Withstand My Pressure!"
Fri, 16 Jan 2026Wise Owl Boxing Signs Rising Female Star Chantel “Chicanita” Navarro
Fri, 16 Jan 2026Mauricio Sulaiman: WBC wants to protect fighters' dream of becoming a world champion
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 15 Jan 2026Xander Zayas: "It's Time to Make History!"
Thu, 15 Jan 2026Weights from Trenton, NJ
Thu, 15 Jan 2026Pro Boxer and Recent Grad Returns for Fight Night on the Farm — Celebrating Stanford’s Boxing Community
Thu, 15 Jan 2026