Ancajas mulls leap to bantamweight
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 11 Mar 2019
IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas will defend his title against Japan?s Ryuichi Funai in Stockton, California, on May 4 and it could be his last fight in the 115-pound division as he plans to move up to bantamweight before the year ends.
Ancajas, 27, is now in deep training at the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite, with five sparmates alternating to keep him sharp. So far, he?s up to six rounds of sparring and trainer Joven Jimenez said he?ll slowly work to hit peak condition three weeks before the bout. A plan to train in Las Vegas for a month could be scuttled and instead, Jimenez may bring Ancajas for isolation at the Marine base in Ternate.
Ancajas? five sparmates are featherweight Alan Alberca, 22, superbantamweight Ernesto Saulong, 29, superlightweight Daniel Lim, 19, flyweight John Mark Alimane, 24 and flyweight Miller Alapormina, 21. Because of protracted negotiations for his next fight, Ancajas has held back in sparring more than six rounds since starting camp over a month back. But now that the date is set, Jimenez has laid out a timetable to bring Ancajas to top condition. At the moment, he weighs 134 pounds and under the strict supervision of nutritionist Jeaneth Aro, will scale down gradually to 115.
?No problem with weight,? said Jimenez in Pilipino. ?Ma?m Jeaneth wants Jerwin where he is now so he has pounds to burn and can work out full blast. We are closely regulating his food intake. He?s eating healthy, he?s hydrated and he?s happy with his diet.?
As for Funai, Jimenez said he could be Ancajas? toughest challenger yet. ?Hindi basta-basta si Funai,? he said. ?May diskarte sa labas at loob. Kung minsan, pa-sugod, kung minsan, hindi. Experienced fighter siya.? Funai, 33, has a 31-7 record, with 22 KOs compared to Ancajas? slate of 30-1-2, with 20 KOs. The Japanese has won his last seven outings, 14 of his last 15 since 2012. Of his seven setbacks, one was by a split decision and another by majority. He has been stopped thrice----by Filipino Rolly Lunas, former WBC bantamweight champion Shinsuke Yamanaka and Kenichi Yoshioka.
Jimenez said he recently contacted Funai victim Warlito Parrenas who was stopped by the Japanese in the eighth round in Tokyo last June. ?Parrenas told me he wasn?t properly trained for the fight,? said Jimenez. ?He warned us about Funai?s right straight which is his power punch. We?ve watched Funai on film. Jerwin?s a lot more active and aggressive. This is a must-win fight for Jerwin because he wasn?t impressive in his last fight (a split draw with Mexico?s Alejandro Santiago in Oakland last September). He wants an impressive win to set himself up for bigger fights ahead.?
For the past 1 1/ 2 months, Ancajas has been running up and down Nasugbu?s mountainous terrain once every two weeks. ?We?re working on building stamina,? said Jimenez. ?In sparring, we want Jerwin to throw more combinations, to be more aggressive, more active, to do volume punching. We don?t want him waiting for opponents to initiate. We want him to move in, charge and attack. It will be a different Jerwin in the fight against Funai.?
Jimenez said Ancajas hoped to face WBC superflyweight ruler Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a unification showdown but the Thai opted to fight former WBA/WBO flyweight titlist Juan Francisco Estrada on April 26 instead. ?We?re moving forward,? said Jimenez. ?Rungvisai would rather fight Estrada so this could be Jerwin?s last fight as a superflyweight. He might go up to bantamweight after Funai.?
Ancajas? purse of $175,000 for his seventh title defense against Funai is the biggest in his career. The fight will be promoted by Top Rank and telecast on ESPN. A move to the bantamweight division which is undergoing a unification under the World Boxing Super Series banner may bring in bigger paychecks for Ancajas. But to stay in contention for marquee fights, Ancajas must dispose of Funai convincingly.
Photo: IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas (left) and trainer Joven Jimenez.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
PPV.COM RETURNS TO THE RING LIVE STREAMING FOUR-BOUT CARD FEATURING THE CANELO - MUNGUÍA WORLD SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE RUMBLE!
Thu, 25 Apr 2024FERREIRA: WINNING A WORLD TITLE AND OLYMPIC GOLD IN THE SAME YEAR WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARY
Thu, 25 Apr 2024Miami Sears Boston With 23 Triples on Way to 111-101 Upset Win, Ties Series
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Thu, 25 Apr 2024EL REY REBEL FAST CHANNEL PARTNERS WITH OSCAR DE LA HOYA’S GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS TO UNVEIL SERIES OF CLASSIC FIGHTS BEGINNING FRIDAY, MAY 3
Thu, 25 Apr 2024NM Ivan Travis Cu rules 2024 NCRAA Palaro chess tilt to give San Juan City the team gold medal
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 25 Apr 2024NTB Wolves eyes 3rd win against Paramount
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 25 Apr 2024Quizon, Maribao power Cavite past Toledo in PCAP chess tilt
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 25 Apr 2024Highland Promotions Show Today in Bangkok, Thailand
Thu, 25 Apr 2024"Chocolatito" Gonzalez- Rober Barrera Set July 12 in Nicaragua on ESPN+
Thu, 25 Apr 2024Venezuelan Olympian Gold Medalist Francisco "Morochito" Rodriguez, 78
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 25 Apr 2024AGM Galindo sweeps IIEE tilt in Dubai
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 25 Apr 2024Suganob to defend title on April 30
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 25 Apr 2024HE TURKI ALALSHIKH ANNOUNCES RIYADH SEASON TO HOST FIRST OVERSEAS EVENT IN LOS ANGELES AS CRAWFORD TAKES ON MADRIMOV FOR WORLD SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT TITLES
Thu, 25 Apr 2024Brandon Adams Destroys Ismael Villareal in Three Rounds as Part of Overtime Tournamant
Thu, 25 Apr 2024HEAVYWEIGHTS GEORGE ARIAS AND SKYLAR LACY BATTLE TO EXCITING DRAW ON BROADWAY BOXING
Thu, 25 Apr 2024