Best of Ancajas for Rodriguez fight

MANILA, Philippines – Expect the best of Jerwin Ancajas when he dangles the International Boxing Federation super flyweight crown against Jonathan Javier Rodriguez on Saturday, November 2 (Sunday, November 3, Philippine time) at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Impressive as he was in a seven-round demolition of Japanese Ryuichi Funai on May 4 in Stockton, California, Ancajas wants a definitive performance versus the dangerous Rodriguez, who rendered his last opponent, former world title contender Felipe Orucuta, comatose with a barrage of heavy head blows.

Fortunately, Orucuta recovered but won’t be able to fight again.

Ancajas has seen that tragic sequence so he’s making sure he won’t suffer the same fate.

According to Ancajas, his training is focused on stopping Rodriguez’s attack right away, because he noticed the Mexican turned into savage mode only whenever he landed a heavy blow and  Orucuta   flinched.

In a recent press conference at the Naval Education, Training and Doctrine Command in San Antonio, Zambales, Ancajas said he would be ready to counter, especially with body blows, in order to deflect Rodriguez’s wayward assaults.

This fight strategy was evident with the way Ancajas’ 10-round morning sparring session went.

To push Ancajas further, chief trainer Joven Jimenez alternately pitted 5 Survival Camp members – Daniel Lim, John Mark Alimane, Alexis Abilar, Angelo Beltran and George Nuez –against Ancajas.

Jimenez’s strict order for them was to apply pressure on Ancajas from the start of every round, expecting Rodriguez to go all-out for a knockout.

Ancajas said he was challenged physically and mentally because all his sparmates charge to him fresh and rested every round.

Of course, Ancajas knows he would need stamina and timing to ward off Rodriguez. That’s why he’s strictly following the diet plan charted for him by dietitian/nutritionist Jeaneth Aro.

Ancajas said he felt stronger and better for the Funai bout due to the round-the-clock supervision of Aro in the last few days heading into the fight.

If he succeeds in his eighth title defense, international matchmaker and MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions president Sean Gibbons envisions Ancajas fighting Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada, the top dog in the 115-pound division, in a unification showdown next year.

Apart from Gibbons, who was impressed with the training facility and accommodation accorded Team Ancajas by the Philippine Navy, also present during the press conference were Rear Admiral Loumer Bernabe, head of the secluded 1,000-hectare facility, and Team Ancajas consultant Mike Salvador. – Rappler.com