Philippine basketball

Ancajas to spar with Pinoy pug in title duel buildup

Roy Luarca

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Ancajas to spar with Pinoy pug in title duel buildup
Jerwin Ancajas and chief trainer Joven Jimenez bring up the level of their training

MANILA, Philippines – Jerwin Ancajas has done a total of 92 rounds of sparring back home. That’s the usual number he posts preparing for a big fight.

But his next bout against Mexican Jonathan Rodriguez is another step higher.

Ancajas will not only be making his 8th defense of the International Boxing Federation super flyweight crown against a formidable foe, he’s looking at it as his passport to a super fight with Juan Francisco Estrada, the top dog of the 115-pound division, next year.

No wonder, Ancajas and his chief trainer, Joven Jimenez, are also bringing up their level of training.

Unlike before, when they finish the sparring sessions in the Philippines, Ancajas and Jimenez have decided to spar some more in the United States.

The plan is for Ancajas, who arrived in Carson, California, on Friday, October 18 (Saturday, October 19, Philippine time), to work out at the gym on Monday and spar for 4 rounds with Filipino Jobert Alvarez on Tuesday, according to Jimenez.

Alvarez holds a 19-win, 2-loss, 2-draw record with 7 knockouts, including a unanimous decision loss to Estrada in 2014.

Being considered for Ancajas’ mopping up training sessions are Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Filipino Marvin Somodio’s Combinations Academy in the Lawndale section of Carson, and yet another gym just walking distance from Team Ancajas’ base camp.

Apart from roadwork in the morning, Ancajas shadow boxes and does the mitts with Jimenez in the afternoon.

At this stage, Ancajas (31-win, 1-loss, 2-draw, 21 knockouts) is ready to rumble with Rodriguez (21-1, 15 KOs), but Jimenez wants to squeeze out optimum form from the pride of Panabo City and adopted son of Magallanes, Cavite.

Ancajas still has to shed some pounds, but it’s the least of Jimenez’s concern as he has brought along dietitian/nutritionist Jeaneth Aro to Carson to monitor and supervise Ancajas’ diet and weight heading to the title duel on November 2 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson.

Aro did the same role during Ancajas’ seventh title defense against Japanese Ryuichi Funai on May 4 in Stockton, California, and the result was a seventh round knockout for the classy southpaw being supported by eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao by way of his MP Promotions headed by international matchmaker Sean Gibbons.

Both Ancajas and Jimenez believe Aro’s weight magic will again work wonders against Rodriguez. – Rappler.com 

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