Jerwin Ancajas ready to snatch Takuma Inoue’s WBA bantamweight belt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipino boxing superstar Jerwin Ancajas is all-systems-go for his upcoming blockbuster fight against Takuma Inoue on February 24, 2024, to be held in Japan.

Takuma, the younger brother of pound-for-pound fighter of the year candidate Naoya Inoue who earlier stopped Filipino challenger Marlon Tapales from unifying the super bantamweight division, is currently the champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight class.

Initially, the fight was scheduled last November 25, 2023 but Inoue had to pull out due to a left rib fracture he sustained during his training camp.

Now that both camps agreed to a rescheduled fight date this February, the Filipino pug is working hard to collect another world championship in a different weight class.

Previously, Ancajas held the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-bantamweight belt from 2016 to 2022 before losing to Fernando Daniel Martinez.

Ancajas lost the first match via unanimous decision and was given a chance to redeem himself but suffered the same fate during their highly-anticipated rematch.

As a result, Ancajas and his camp thought that this was the right time to go up a weight class and didn’t disappoint when he knocked out Wilner Soto in his debut in bantamweight.

On the other hand, Inoue is looking to maintain his dominant run and is still undefeated since January 14, 2021.

Inoue is currently on a five-match winning streak and put up a boxing clinic during his last fight against Liborio Solis.

In total, the Japanese boxer already amassed 18 wins and only suffered defeat once while also holding four knockouts.

Meanwhile, Ancajas’ track record shows his edge in experience as he clinched 34 wins, 23 knockouts, and only three defeats.

Who will reign supreme? Can Ancajas pull off the win in Japan?