Jerwin Ancajas ready for title defense as US plans boxing return

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Jerwin Ancajas has kept himself ready since March. Now that preparation will be put to the test.

Thrice-postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ancajas was supposed to defend his International Boxing Federation super flyweight belt for the ninth time against hard-hitting Mexican Jonathan Javier Rodriguez.

As US expressed plans for boxing’s return, Manny Pacquaio (MP) Promotions president Sean Gibbons said that once the final date of the clash is set, he will be flying Ancajas to the US for the fight.

As of the moment, fight cards in Las Vegas were already slated for July with the Ancajas-Rodriguez fight as the priority main event.

Originally scheduled on April 11, the fight had to take numerous setbacks because of the outbreak of COVID-19 across the nation.

However, Joven Jimenez, Ancajas’ head trainer, said that the pandemic allowed them to further strategize against the challenger. The trainer furthered that they are ready anytime they are called up by Gibbons for the fight.