Jerwin Ancajas skips break, keeps training for title fight

Roy Luarca

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Jerwin Ancajas skips break, keeps training for title fight

Rappler

Filipino champ Ancajas defends his IBF super flyweight title Saturday against Mexican Alejandro Santiago Barrios

OAKLAND, California – There’s no sense of urgency, only a tactical strategy for Jerwin Ancajas when his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight crown is on the line.

Just like last week back home, when Ancajas trained under stormy weather on a Sunday in Magallanes, Cavite, he did the same thing here.

Instead of taking a break, Ancajas continued his preparations for Mexican Alejandro Santiago Barrios, who will try to wrest the 115-pound title from him on Friday (Saturday, September 29, in Manila) at Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors.

Under the watchful gaze of his trainer, Joven Jimenez, Ancajas sweated it out at the fitness center and jogged and sprinted at the courtyard of Oakland Airport Executive Hotel in the morning.

After a paltry lunch, Ancajas talked with his family back home, took a nap, then returned to the gym early evening for more workouts.

He shadow boxed for 15 minutes before conditioning trainer Delfin Boholst and cutman Todd Makelim, also a former pro fighter, alternated doing the punch stick and mitts with him.

The emphasis was on infighting. Ancajas fight team anticipates, because Barrios was shorter, he will try to penetrate the Filipino’s defenses and concentrate on body attacks rather than trade jabs and power punches from a distance.

Jimenez has prepared his prized ward for such scenario by including Jomar Caindog and John Mark Alimane, who were as tall as the 5-foot-1/2 Barrios, in the roster of Ancajas’ sparring partners at the height of their training at Survival Camp.

After nearly an hour, Ancajas picked up a basketball and dribbled for several minutes to loosen up, before getting a rubdown from Boholst.

World title challenger Mark Anthony Barriga and former world title challenger Genesis Servania, just hours after his arrival from Kanasawa, Japan, where he is based, trained alongside Ancajas in the evening session.

Barriga (9-0 with 1 knockout) is tangling with Carlos Licona (13-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant IBF minimum weight title either in November or December 1 in the US, while Servania (31-1 with 14 knockouts) will be pitted against a Mexican featherweight in the undercard of the Ancajas-Barrios fight. 

Ancajas hasn’t gone to the gym since their arrival here Tuesday, September 18, and Jimenez is contemplating cancelling it altogether after finding out that Smash Gym is nearly 20 kilometers away from their hotel.

Ayaw na ni Jerwin mag-travel ng malayo at this stage,” explained Jimenez. “Anyway we’ve done everything in the gym sa Magallanes.” (Jerwin does not want the long distance travel at this stage.)

An ardent fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ancajas named his two sons after Cavs forward Kyle Korver and former Cav Kyrie Irving, so it was hardly surprising that he plays basketball for cross training.

His newborn daughter, Jacey Kiera, serves as additional inspiration and motivation for Ancajas to keep his title for the 6th time and bolster his case for a showdown with Thai superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai or Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada.

Unsatisfied with Ancajas’ unanimous decision victory over compatriot Jonas Sultan in his 5th title defense in Fresno, California, last May 26, Jimenez wants the stalwart of MP Promotions and Joven Sports to be more aggressive against Barrios, hoping that the explosion of his fists would come.

Ancajas doesn’t promise a knockout, but he intends to drop bombs. – Rappler.com

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