A star in the making

US agent says Ancajas deserves main event status

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas made a lot of heads turn Saturday that his well-connected US agent insists that his fighter deserves to headline a Top Rank show.

Las Vegas-based Sean Gibbons told a handful of scribes following Ancajas’ easy KO win over Israel Gonzalez at the American Bank Center that earlier plans to see Ancajas fight underneath a Manny Pacquiao card doesn’t look financially sound.

“Why put your two best fighters in one show? (it’s an) Overkill,” said Gibbons inside Ancajas’ dressing room.

Impressed by Ancajas trouble-free handling of Gonzalez, Gibbons swears the 26-year-old lefty has what it takes to draw in the crowd in another locale, a setting where the population of Filipino-Americans is high.

While the Filipino community here welcomed Ancajas with open arms, Gibbons feels that Ancajas is now ready to be showcased in a city much bigger and more vibrant than Corpus Christi.

“It’s all up to our promoter,” said chief trainer Joven Jimenez, whose ward is under contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc.

Informed about his next fight, Ancajas smiled but made it clear that he will be ready to report back to the gym after a two-week break.

Last year, Ancajas fought thrice in Macau, Australia and Northern Ireland.

Gibbons maintains that Ancajas was hardly hit by Gonzalez.

“He barely got hit,” said Gibbons.