Here’s to TV 5

JERWIN Ancajas has been a great fighter long before we saw his exploits on live TV on Sunday.

In his 10th-round destruction of Mexican Israel Gonzalez in Corpus Christi, Texas, Ancajas merely made many of his unknowing compatriots know, finally, about his hitherto hidden world-class boxing prowess.

He has been the IBF world flyweight champion for quite sometime now and yet, Ancajas’ name had hardly rung a bell.

How many among you know that before he knocked out Gonzalez in one minute 50 seconds of the 10th round, Ancajas had already defended his crown three times last year—all by knockout?

Ancajas stopped Mexico’s Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in seven rounds on Jan. 29, 2017, before knocking out Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita, also in the seventh, on July 2 in the PacquiaoHorn undercard in Brisbane, Australia. He ended the year with a sixth-round stoppage of Britain’s Jamie Conlan in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in November.

We finally saw Ancajas (29-1-2, 20 KOs) dish his skills live—thanks to Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s

American promoter, who signed the scienceseared southpaw to a three-year contract.

But the biggest credit goes to TV 5. Without the network’s gargantuan generosity of airing the fight live for free, Ancajas would have remained that: a hidden treasure. Raise your glass, please? ___________________ ALL SET. The 71st PAL (Philippine Airlines) Interclub Golf is set March 1-10 in Bacolod. PAL President Jimmy J. Bautista will hit the ceremonial tee shot on Feb. 26 at Marapara, the flat course now known as the Negros Occidental Golf Club. Tight and tricky Binitin (Bacolod Golf & Country Club) in nearby Murcia will be the other venue of the national team golf championships staking Seniors and Men’s Regular crowns. Luisita and Manila Southwoods will be back to defend their Seniors and Men’s titles, respectively, in the nation’s oldest club-level tournament. Bacolod is closed to my heart as it is in Bacolod’s neighboring Victorias Golf Club where I won the PAL Media Golf Classic in 1997 coinciding with the PAL Interclub’s Golden anniversary. It was a victory like no other as it netted me two PAL business class tickets to New York City and back. I have yet to win again but it’s all right. The first one’s thrill lasts forever.