When Joven almost quit boxing

OAKLAND – Three years ago, boxing trainer Joven Jimenez almost gave up trying to make champions out of fighters. He once had 12 fighters under his wing, including Froilan Saludar, Adonis Cabalquinto and Anthony Marcial. But one by one, they left Jimenez’ Top Contender gym in Muntinlupa because they couldn’t get along with each other.

Only one fighter stuck it out with Jimenez. He was Jerwin Ancajas. Jimenez inherited Ancajas from the fighter’s amateur coach Dodong Disabille. At first, Jimenez wanted to beg off from taking Ancajas in. He didn’t know Ancajas and was hesitant to add another body to his stable that started to get unwieldy. But there was something special about Ancajas that caught Jimenez’ eye. Ancajas was different from the others. He was disciplined, determined, respectful and humble. Of course, he was talented, too, and that was a clinching argument. Loyalty was another Ancajas virtue. 

In 2015, Jimenez brought one of his protégés John Mark Apolinario to fight in Laredo, Texas and in the medical checkup, the boxer turned out positive for HIV. The fight was cancelled and so was Apolinario’s purse. Eventually, Apolinario tested negative for HIV in a confirmatory analysis but it was too late to revive the fight. 

“I was losing money and my fighters left me, except for Jerwin,” said Jimenez. “I thought of handing Jerwin over to Nonoy Neri. (Top Rank matchmaker) Brad Goodman invited me to stay in the US. I think he was going to offer me a job. Brad even asked me to bring my family over.  I will always be grateful to Brad for his kindness. When I was down, he never left my side and continued to support me.”

Then, things started to turn around for Jimenez. A twist of fate brought IBF superflyweight champion McJoe Arroyo to the Philippines to stake his crown against Ancajas in 2016. “Two weeks before the fight, I asked help from friends so we could stay in a hotel,” said Jimenez. “One of my boxing students when I was a Navy coach, a lawyer Bobbet Bruce, took care of our hotel. Jerwin was paid $3,700 for the fight and from the purse, the IBF deducted $1,000 as share for the sanction fee. It was all worth what we went through because Jerwin became the IBF champion. Sir Sean (Gibbons) made it happen because he was the matchmaker.”

Ancajas never took a step back after claiming the throne. He earned $40,000 for his first defense against Mexican Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in Macau, $60,000 for his second defense against Japan’s Teiru Konashita in Brisbane, $80,000 for his third defense against Ireland’s Jamie Conlan in Belfast, $95,000 for his fourth defense against Mexican Israel Gonzalez in Corpus Christi, $120,000 for his fifth defense against countryman Jonas Sultan in Fresno and $140,000 for his sixth defense against Mexican Alejandro Santiago in Oakland.

After training in a makeshift gym on a Tanay property owned by another Jimenez boxing student Mark Soong, Ancajas bought land in barangay Ramirez, Magallanes, Cavite. Jimenez and Ancajas put up money to build a gym and dorm in Magallanes, a facility now known as the Survival Camp. PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan gave Ancajas P1 Million as his personal contribution towards finishing the construction of the facility.

Jimenez and Ancajas, however, are not out of the woods. Instead of using MVP’s donation for the construction, Ancajas gave it in two installments, P300,000 and P700,000, to a lawyer. The lawyer has filed a case before the GAB and a court in Imus, demanding more money from Ancajas on the basis of a contract of retainership. The lawyer was also paid $1,000 previously. Ancajas and his wife have appeared in four hearings so far. His wife was even pregnant during the hearings. 

Apparently, the contract of retainership contains a clause to compensate the lawyer a percentage of Ancajas’ gross purses. It appears to be more of an agent’s contract. Perhaps, Jimenez and Ancajas were unaware of the legal niceties of the contract. Were they duped? Is the contract irregular? Shouldn’t the lawyer realize that this is causing unnecessary anxiety and distraction to Ancajas who should be 100 percent focused on his boxing career? Surely, it isn’t right for Ancajas to risk his life and leave his blood, sweat and tears in the ring for somebody else to benefit largely from what he earns as a fighter.