Ancajas fight in Imus scrapped –Gibbons

JERWIN ANCAJAS would no longer fight a Thai opponent before Filipino fans in Imus City next month and will train a month or so more instead in the US for a more lucrative and explosive debut as a bantamweight.

“Jerwin [Ancajas] will be Us-bound next week for a better training to sharpen his skills under his new weight class, bantamweight,” international matchmaker Sean Gibbons told Businessmirror on Wednesday.

Ancajas lost his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight belt to Argentina’s Fernando Daniel Martinez last February in Las Vegas and again yielded in a rematch eight months later in Carson City, California.

He looked drained making the 115-pount limit losing both by unanimous decision.

Gibbons and trainer and manager Joven Jimenez opted to move Ancajas to the next heavier division at bantamweight and was supposed to figure in a redemption fight against IBF Pacific bantamweight champion Songsaeng Phoyaem on February 12 at the Imus Sports Complex in Cavite.

Gibbons deemed it would be better for the 31-year-old fighter from Panabo City fighter to sharpen his skills and body as a bantamweight in Las Vegas.

“It’s still a better training atmosphere and sparring in the US, there are no distractions and he can focus there,” Gibbons said. “He needs to win his debut at 118 [pounds] and he’s going to fight for a world title after that.”

Ancajas (33-3-2 win-loss-draw record with 22 knockouts) is currently ranked No. 5 in the IBF’S bantamweight rankings and No. 10 in the World Boxing Association.

“A fight in the US would be more profitable for Jerwin than in the Philippines,” said Gibbons, adding Ancajas could be making his debut either in the US or Mexico in March.