LESS than two weeks before he makes a mandatory defense of his International Boxing Federation super flyweight belt, Jerwin Ancajas declared himself ready against topachallenger Teiru Kinoshita of Korea.
As per trainer and manager Joven Jimenez, the 25-year-old- pride of Panabo, Davao del Norte is already 95 percent in top shape for the 12-round match that serves as undercard for the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn World Boxing Organization welterweight title bout in Brisbane, Australia.
The remaining five percent Ancajas hopes to accomplish just before the July 2 match expected to be fought before a record crowd of 50,000 at the Suncorp Stadium.
“Nasa 95 percent na po, ‘yun ang nakikita niya [Jimenez] sa akin,” said Ancajas, who has sparred more than a 100 rounds for the second defense of the crown he won with a unanimous decision over McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico last year.
Jimenez, who was with the world champion in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel, said they had seen numerous bouts of the 31-year-old challenger, who was born in Korea but raised and now based in Japan.
“Southpaw siya, typical na Koreano na matibay,” he said. “Abang lang ng abang iyan, although skills wise, mas lamang si Jerwin.”
At the moment, Ancajas is still six pounds over the 115-lbs limit, although he doesn’t see any problem making the weight.
“Kaya naman ang timbang. Mababa na nga ‘yung over ko compared sa mga previous fights ko,” he stressed in the same session presented by San Miguel Corp., Golden Phoenix Hotel, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Ancajas successfully retained his IBF crown last January with a seventh round stoppage of Jose Alfredo Rodriguez at the Cotai Arena in Macau. He raised his record to 26-1-1 with 17 KOs.
This will be the second time the rising Filipino boxer is featured as undercard in a Pacquiao fight. He first fought in the Pacquiao-Chris Algerie title bout in 2013 in Macau.
Kinoshita, meanwhile, has a record of 25-1-1, including eight KOs.