BRISBANE, Australia – Jerwin Ancajas hopes to get a piece of the limelight in a Manny Pacquiao headliner when he stakes his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight title against Teiru Kinoshita of Japan on Sunday.
The 12-round battle will be the biggest so far for the 25-year-old champion as it serves as the main undercard of Pacquiao’s defense of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) crown against undefeated Australian Jeff Horn.
Ancajas is defending his belt for the second time this year. He earlier scored a seventh round technical decision against Jose Alfredo Rodriguez of Mexico to retain the crown last January at the Cotai Arena in Macao.
“Ok naman po. Ready na tayo,” the soft-spoken champion comely said on the eve of the bout.
Ancajas made weight Saturday at 114 lbs. while Kinoshita, the Japanese-Korean challenger now based in Osaka, Japan, came in at exactly 115 lbs.
Trainer Joven Jimenez noted the obvious advantage in height and reach of the challenger, who has a record of 25-1-1 (8 KOs). So he’s consistent is saying the Filipino champion from Panabo City, Davao del Norte will have to utilize his quickness and speed to counter Kinoshita.
“Yung bilis pa rin ang kailangan namin. Mahaba yung kalaban kaya pupuntos lang ng pupuntos yan,” said Jimenez.
“At tsaka sa power lamang din naman tayo.”
Ancajas, who won the world title in September last year with a 12-round unanimous decision over McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico, is 26-1-1, including 17 KOs.
He is one of two Filipinos included in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Horn bout.
Jonel Dapidran, the second cousin of the 38-year-old Pacquiao, is seeing action against Brent Dames of Australia in the first match of the seven-fight card.
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