Barrios ready to snatch Ancajas’ title

OAKLAND, California – Listed at 5-foot-2 ½, Alejandro Santiago Barrios didn’t look as diminutive when he stood side by side with the 5-foot-6 Jerwin Ancajas on Tuesday afternoon, September 25.

Barrios, who just planed in from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, was being interviewed by sportswriters at the lobby of Oakland Airport Executive Hotel when Ancajas arrived from a promotional appearance in San Francisco.

The two fighters were introduced and Ancajas willingly posed for photos with Barrios, who’ll be trying to snatch the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight crown from him on Sept. 28 at Oracle Arena here.

They wished each other well, shook hands again, and Ancajas proceeded to take the elevator to his room at the sixth floor, while Barrios and his team stayed for a while.

Barrios, through an interpreter, said he doesn’t mind the underdog tag nor the difference in fighting stance as Ancajas is a southpaw while he’s an orthodox fighter.

Dismissing notions that he was handpicked to be used as a fodder for Ancajas, who’s being groomed for universal acclaim by Top Rank, said “he feels ready to win the fight.”

According to Barrios, he trained for three months in Tijuana and lost count of the rounds he spent against four sparring partners.

As proof of his hard labor, Barrios said he weighed 119 pounds, just four pounds off the limit, on Monday.

Knowing that Ancajas (30-0-1 with 20 knockouts) has shaken off jetlag and gotten accustomed to the cooler Bay Area weather since arriving from Manila last Tuesday, Barrios did not waste time.

The 22-year-old with a 16-win, 2-loss, 4-draw record with 7 knockouts, was spotted at 10 pm training at the hotel’s fitness center.

After being held to a second draw by unbeaten Puerto Rican Jose Martinez (20-0) in their battle for the World Boxing Organization NABO super flyweight title last March 24, Barrios wants to bely his No. 14 IBF ranking in the division and prove he’s a worthy challenger to Ancajas.

Even more, Barrios wants to join the ranks of Mexican world champions. – Rappler.com