‘Pretty Boy’ has entire country in his fists

TOKYO—IN Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas’s fists is a mission he wants to accomplish with extreme urgency—bring a world boxing trophy back on Philippine soil.

“It’s beyond normal—having no Filipino world boxing champion, I’m not used to it, it don’t like it,” Ancajas told the pre-fight conference for his upcoming title duel with Japan’s Takuma Inoue at the Tokyo Dome Hotel Thursdayu.

“So I have to work hard and fight wisely,” he added.

Ancajas will go after Inoue’s World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight belt in a co-main event with World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Alexandro Santiago of the US and challenger Junto Nakatani of Japan Saturday at the Ryougoku Kokugikan Arena.

Ancajas, 32, said he would do his best to end the country’s almost twomonth drought without a world champion—in 2019, he was the International Boxing Federation super flyweight champion, Nonito Donaire Jr. was WBA super bantamweight king, Pedro Taduran the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimum weight titlist and, of course, icon Manny Pacquiao lorded over the WBA as the top welterweight.

“It is the biggest motivation for me to become the first [Filipino] champion of 2024 and, of course, for our country,” he added.

Marlon Tapales was the last man standing as a world champion but lost his IBF and WBA super bantamweight belts to Takuma’s elder brother, undefeated Naoya Inoue, last December 26 via a 10th-round knockout loss also in Tokyo.

“It saddens me that there’s no Filipino champion, so let’s see Saturday night atop of the ring,” Ancajas stressed.

Ancajas is also drawing inspiration from a forthcoming fifth child to wife Ruth, who’s two months pregnant.

“I hope it’s a girl, but a boy’s okay,” said the pride of Panabo City who’s also an inspiration to his kids Jhinjie Kyri (10), JJ Kyle (8), Jacey Kiera (5) and Jazz Klay (1).

Ancajas sports a 34-3-2 win-lossdraw record with 23 knockouts to Inoue’s 18-1 record with four knockouts.

Trash talk was not in Inoue’s vocabulary during the pre-fight conference also graced by Sean Gibbons, president of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, as well as Hideyuki Ohashi of Ohashi Promotions and Teiken Promotions president Akihiko Honda.

“He [Ancajas] is the best fighter I will ever face,” Takuma said through an interpreter. “I idolized him, watched his every fight. I’m not sure… let’s see until I face him.”

The official weigh-in for the 118-pound fight is set Friday also at the Tokyo Dome.

“I’m just two pounds over so I expect to get the weight by tomorrow,” Ancajas said.