Panabo City pride Jerwin Ancajas is out to erase the impression among boxing circles of his performance in his last fight.
The reigning world junior-bantamweight champion will be defending his International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt against Alejandro Santiago Barrios of Mexico in Oakland, Saturday (Manila time), 4 months after his lackluster 12-round decision win over compatriot Jonas Sultan in Fresno.
The 12-round title bout will be at Oracle Arena, home of reigning NBA champions Golden State Warriors.
For Ancajas, Sultan’s awkward style made it hard for him to be in his usual element that led people to believe he was exposed against a rugged opponent.
“Mahirap mabasa mga suntok ni Sultan kaya sinabihan ako ni coach (trainer Joven Jimenez) na huwag makipagsabayan kasi delikado din ’yung counter niya,” said Ancajas.
Against Barrios, Ancajas sees an opportunity to prove his worth as an elite boxer who deserves to be mentioned alongside established superstars of their division, particularly Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada and pound-for-pound entrant Srisaket Rungvisai of Thailand.
“Mas pulido mga suntok niya kaya kahit paano makikita ko, pero mabilis din siya at magalaw kaya dapat din paghandaan ng husto,” added Ancajas, who arrived in the US less than two weeks before his bout opposite Barrios but assures jetlag won’t be an issue.
“Nasanay na din kami 10 days before fight sa abroad andu’n na kami. Tulog din ako ng tulog sa biyahe kaya hindi ako nagkaka-jetlag. Mas maganda din sa Pilipinas kasi mas marami kami sparmates.”
Making the sixth defense of his crown, Ancajas (30-1-1, 20 knockouts) is eyeing a potential megafight against Srisaket who will likewise stake his WBC crown against Mexican Iran Diaz on October 6 in Thailand.
But first things first, Ancajas, 26, should keep his focus on Barrios who, at 22 years old, is already a veteran of 22 fights and has tallied a 16-2-4 win-loss-draw card spiked with 7 KOs.
