Jerwin’s next fight in June
IBF superflyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas will fight next in June somewhere in the US against No. 1 contender and countryman Jonas Sultan, his manager/ trainer Joven Jimenez disclosed yesterday.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and Las Vegas matchmaker Sean Gibbons agreed on Ancajas’ agenda after he halted Mexican challenger Israel Gonzalez in the 10th round of his fourth title defense in Corpus Christi last Saturday. “That’s what Sean told us before we left Corpus Christi,” said Jimenez in Pilipino. “We’d rather not pay Sultan a step-aside fee of $20,000. If he’s the mandatory challenger, we’ll fight Sultan.”
No Filipino has fought another Filipino in a world title fight since WBF welterweight champion William Magahin decisioned Erwin Villaver, a Hawaiian of pure Filipino descent, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in 1995. The previous marquee duel involving two Filipinos was in Cebu in 1965 when Flash Elorde outpointed Rene Barrientos to retain his Oriental lightweight crown. The first world
title bout between two Filipinos was held at the Wallace Field on the east end of Luneta in Manila in 1925 when Pancho Villa defeated Clever Sencio on points over 15 rounds to retain the flyweight crown.
Ancajas and Jimenez arrived in Manila last Wednesday morning on a PAL flight from Los Angeles. They left Corpus Christi for L. A. via Houston last Sunday noon. Ancajas’ traveling party landed in L. A. that night and checked in at a hotel. He ate a Chinese buffet lunch the next day, bought his wife Ruth perfume at a mall, hung out at former WBO lightflyweight champion Rodel Mayol’s home then took the 10:30 p.m. flight to Manila that night. Jimenez said Ancajas’ purse of $95,000 was wired to his Philippine account so he’ll shop for his two children in Manila.
Ancajas was welcomed at the NAIA by TV crews from ESPN5 and GMA, later to be joined by ABS-CBN. He met well-wishers and did media interviews at ChowKing near the airport from 7 to 10 a.m. then dropped by the AP Cargo Logistics office on the way to his home in barangay Ramirez, Magallanes, Cavite. AP Cargo Logistics’ owners Virgil and Vincent Villacorte gave Ancajas a bonus when he visited. “We met some AP Cargo employees at ChowKing and told us they watched the fight on a big screen set up in their office,” said Jimenez. “They invited us to drop by their office which is close to the terminal so we went to thank the owners for their support.”
Ancajas was honored in a motorcade around Magallanes early yesterday morning and visited the schools and government offices in the town. Mayor Jasmin Bautista hosted the homecoming celebration. Jimenez said Ancajas treated over 100 neighbors and visitors to a lechon lunch yesterday.
“We got a call from Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s staff for us to meet him in the Senate when we arrived but we saw the text after we arrived in Magallanes at 1 p.m. so it was too late to go,” said Jimenez. “The staff advised that Sen. Manny will see us on Monday or Tuesday. (GAB) chairman (Baham) Mitra is arranging for us to pay President Duterte a courtesy call. Our appointment to see chairman Mitra is on Thursday. We were told ESPN5 will host a victory party.”