Ancajas in must-win fight

IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas realizes his unbeaten Argentine challenger Fernando (El Pumita) Martinez is no pushover but he’ll do what it takes to retain the title in his 10th defense at the Chelsea Theater in the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas this morning (Manila time). Both fighters scaled 114.6 pounds at the weigh-in and declared themselves ready to go to war.

It will be Ancajas’ first fight in Las Vegas and Martinez’ debut in the US. “Jerwin’s 10th defense is the most important fight of his career,” said MP Promotions head Sean Gibbons. “If he’s successful in beating Martinez, it will open the floodgates for everything. We’re in touch with the Japanese and the fight against (WBO champion Kazuto) Ioka is done except for the date.  This will open up opportunities to fight (Naoya) Inoue and the big guns at 115. This is it. You haven’t made it ‘til you’ve played Las Vegas.”

Ancajas, 30, isn’t looking beyond Martinez but it’s clear his ultimate goal is to unify the 115-pound title with Ioka the first target. “Ang pangarap ko ay unification,” he said. “Alam ko, ang nasa isip ni Martinez ay talunin ako. Tanggap ko ‘yan.  Nakita ko ang kaniyang record at napag-aralan na namin ni coach Joven (Jimenez) kung paano siya lumaban sa video. Talagang susugod siya, ‘di natitinag. Noong bata ako, pangarap ko maging Olympian subali’t nag-pro ako ng 17 kaya ‘di ko na-achieve. Si Martinez ay Olympian kaya ang motivation ko ay talunin siya upang mapatunayan ko na kaya ko ang Olympian na walang talo. ‘Yan din ang aking motivation noong kinuha ko ang korona kay McJoe Arroyo na isang undefeated Olympian.”

Ancajas left Manila for the US last September and has since been training initially at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles then at Jorge Capetillo’s gym in Las Vegas three weeks ago. Ancajas stays in an apartment set up by Gibbons in Las Vegas with Jimenez, Eumir Marcial, Jeo Santisima, Jonas Sultan and coach Michael Domingo.

“Olympian si Martinez kaya magaling,” said Jimenez. “May lakas. Mabuti ang kondisyon ni Jerwin, handang-handa na siya at sobrang excited kasi first time siya lalaban sa Las Vegas.” Ancajas said if and when the opportunity comes, he’ll go for a knockout. Six of his nine defenses have ended inside the distance. Former two-weight world champion Marcos Maidana, an Argentinian, said Martinez will bulldoze his way to victory. But Martinez was less bodacious, saying only he’ll try his best to win as their styles are similar. Martinez, 30, turned pro in 2017, a year after Ancajas took the IBF belt. His record is 13-0 with 8 KOs, including two in the first round. Six of his victims had more losses than wins.  Outside of Argentina, Martinez has fought in Dubai and South Africa. Ancajas has spoiled the records of four previously unbeaten opponents, including Arroyo and Jamie Conlan, and totes a record of 33-1-2, with 22 KOs.

A recent incident in sparring left Ancajas undisturbed. The Filipino ripped a shot to the breadbasket that appeared to hurt his sparmate and held back. But the sparmate goaded Ancajas to mix it up. Ancajas then pinned the sparmate to a corner and dropped him, triggering a slight melee. The sparmate’s coach threw a water bottle into the ring and it could’ve turned uglier if not for cooler heads intervening. “Nabigla ‘yung trainer,” said Ancajas. “Lumapit sa akin mga magulang ng sparmate at nagpasalamat sa training at nagpa-picture. Mababait naman sila. Magaling ‘yung bata, mabilis, marunong dumistansya. Walang problema sa akin ang nangyari, naunawaan ko.”

What Ancajas did to his sparmate, he plans to do to Martinez.