Ancajas hungrier than ever

MANILA, Philippines — IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas of Panabo, Davao del Norte, is now down to 119 pounds, only four over the limit, and shouldn’t find it difficult to scale 115 or less at the weigh-in the day before making his sixth title defense against Mexico’s Alejandro Santiago at the Oracle Arena in Oakland on Friday.

Ancajas and his traveling party left Manila for Oakland via San Francisco last Wednesday. The group is billeted at the Oakland Airport Executive Hotel where the weigh-in is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

“Maaga kinukuha ni Jerwin ang timbang ngayon,” said Ancajas’ trainer Joven Jimenez. “Gutom na gutom si Jerwin manalo. Kailangan niya ito kasi kapapanganak lang ng kanyang misis (Ruth).” When not training for a fight, Ancajas usually walks around at 130. But in getting ready for Santiago, he trimmed down to less than 120 two weeks before leaving for Oakland.

Ancajas’ wife delivered baby girl Jacey Kiera, weighing 8.8 pounds and measuring 36 centimeters long, at the Naic Doctors Hospital in Cavite last Sept. 16. The couple also has two sons Kyrie and Kyle. The growing family is Ancajas’ inspiration to stay hungry.        

Jimenez said Ancajas finished over 80 rounds of sparring at the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite and is tapering off in Oakland, doing mitts, shadow-boxing, running and working calisthenics. Since weight isn’t an issue, Ancajas is eating three meals a day. His meals consist of fish, shrimp, soup, vegetables and rice. Former national boxer Delfin Boholst, who assists in Ancajas’ training, doubles as cook and prepares the champion’s meals.

Jimenez said Los Angeles-based former WBC lightflyweight champion Rodel Mayol won’t be joining thxe Ancajas team in Oakland this time. Mayol lent a helping hand in Ancajas’ previous defense against Jonas Sultan in Fresno last May. Mayol is busy with lightweight prospect Romero Duno who battles Mexico’s Ezequiel Aviles at the Fantasy Sports Casino, Indio, California, on Saturday. Duno, 22, is from Cotabato City and has a 17-1 record, with 14 KOs.

Jimenez said Ancajas is leaving nothing to chance against Santiago, who’s a fight-alike of former world flyweight champion Juan Francisco Estrada. “Ang plano namin ni Jerwin ay lumaban ng 12 rounds,” he said. “Pero depende sa pagkakataon. Pinaghandaan namin na umabot sa 12 rounds. Gusto namin agresibo si Jerwin. Kung may sitwasyon na pwedeng bakbakan ni Jerwin si Santiago, ‘yun ang gagawin niya.”

Ancajas is scheduled to make a public appearance at the Balboa High School in San Francisco at noon today. Tomorrow, he will be with five other fighters in the Oracle card at a press conference in the Folsom Street Foundry in San Francisco. He will be joined by Santiago, Jose Uzcategui, Ezequiel Maderna, Genesis Servania and Joshua Greer.

Uzcategui, the IBF supermiddleweight champion, will headline the show in a non-title bout against Maderna. Servania, 27, is another Filipino seeing action. He takes on Mexico’s Carlos Carlson. Servania, who is from Bacolod and now based in Ishikawa, Japan, suffered his only loss in dropping a unanimous decision to Oscar Valdez in a bid for the WBO featherweight crown in Tucson last year. But he decked Valdez once in a brutal war. Servania has since bounced back to score two knockout wins in a row to raise his record to 31-1, with 14 KOs. Carlson’s mark is 22-4, with 13 KOs.