Jerwin Ancajas to face Uruguayan fighter in California

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipino boxing star Jerwin Ancajas received another call-up and is set to share the center stage with Ruben Casero of Uruguay on August 3, 2025, at the Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.

Ancajas was supposed to make his boxing return in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Mario Barrios welterweight title fight but due to last-minute complications, his opponent failed to commit during fight night.

The development was confirmed by Viva Promotions, the partnering promotional organization of the Manny Pacquiao (MP) Promotions handled by Pacman himself and President Sean Gibbons.

Gibbons immediately promised Ancajas and his camp a quick solution, and standing his way in his goal of returning to the pedestal is Casero, a former World Boxing Council (WBC) champion.

Ancajas is currently on his way to redeeming himself after losing to Fernando Daniel Martinez and Takuma Inoue which cost him his International Boxing Federation (IBF) championship belt.

The Filipino pug once held the super flyweight belt for six straight years from 2016 but his back-to-back losses to Martinez dashed his championship aspirations.

His route to success was made worse after he lost his bout against Inoue which skyrocketed his IBF rankings down that prevented him from getting any easy title fights.

However, Ancajas didn’t give up in his title chase and returned on September 24, 2024, scoring a lopsided victory over Sukpasried Ponphitak at the Mandaluyong City College.

Ancajas attracted more boxing opponents after racking up a second straight win against Richie Mepranum last January 25, 2025.

Days after the failed negotiation in Las Vegas, Ancajas found another rejuvenated chance as he is set to test the mitts of the Uruguayan brawler.

Casero currently holds a pro boxing record of 13 wins, five knockouts, and four losses. He is fresh off a convincing win over Federico Andres Penarrieta on May 25, 2025.

If Ancajas returns to the Philippines with a win, Gibbons and the rest of the MP Promotions are looking to stage another fight that could help him near his title fight dreams.