Jerwin Ancajas stops Mexican foe in emphatic featherweight debut

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Former Filipino boxing champion Jerwin Ancajas made a convincing featherweight debut by scoring a fourth-round technical knockout (TKO) win over Mexico’s Ruben Antonio Tostado Garcia on April 19, 2026, at the Hipodromo Caliente in Tijuana, Mexico.

After spending half of his professional career fighting from super flyweight to super bantamweight, Ancajas had no trouble in the heavier weight class, dominating from start to finish.

Still carrying that insane speed and jab control despite getting into the weight room, Ancajas had another walk in the park after bullying Tostado Garcia with his precise left straight-right uppercut combinations.

It took Ancajas only two minutes to decipher Tostado Garcia’s head movement pattern as he scored the first knockdown of the fight with a stiff left straight at the 2:33 mark of the opening round.

Stunned by the early beating he absorbed, the Mexican challenger shifted tactics in the following round, attempting to shut down Ancajas’ desired hitting distance by applying pressure on the front foot.

However, no matter what kind of hounding pressure Tostado Garcia deployed, the more experienced Ancajas wisely utilized the shuffle step to get out of trouble whenever he was pinned on the ropes.

Ancajas officially went up 2-0 on the scorecards after closing the second round with a right hook to the body, followed by a snappy left jab in the final eight seconds.

All hell broke loose in the third round, when Ancajas doubled his knockdown lead after landing a clean four-punch combination that dropped Tostado Garcia for the second time.

With only seven seconds remaining, Ancajas was able to corner Tostado Garcia, immediately popping a quick jab-straight combination followed by two more punches.

The TKO win was then officially awarded to Ancajas during the break, when Tostado Garcia’s corner threw in the towel, admitting that their ward could no longer continue with the fight.

“Salamat sa lahat ng nagdasal at sumuporta sa amin sa Team Ancajas,” the Filipino star posted on his official Facebook account after the impressive win.

“Sa inyo po ang panalo na ito. Salamat din sa team ko, coach Joven, kuya Alaric Tenorio, sir Sean Gibbons. Thank you so much! Thank you, God, sa panalo!”