Ancajas to return to ring on April 10

In this May 2019 photo, Jerwin Ancajas is seen as he gestures to fans after defeating Ryuichi Funai of Japan.

CEBU CITY, Philippines—After more than a year since he last stepped inside the ring,  reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) world super flyweight king Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas will make his much-anticipated return on April 10, 2021, in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA.

The US-based Ancajas, one of the three remaining Filipino boxing world champions, will be facing WBC Fecombox super flyweight champion Jonathan Javier “Titan” Rodriguez to defend his world title strap. 

Ancajas’ last bout was on December 7, 2019, in Mexico. He won via a sixth-round technical knockout to successfully defend his long-held title for the eighth time. 

The other two Filipino boxing world champions are WBO world bantamweight king Johnriel Casimero and newly crowned IBF world minimumweight champion Rene Mark Cuarto. 

The 29-year-old Ancajas from Panabo City boasts of a telling record of 32 victories (22 knockouts) with one defeat and two draws.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, has not lost since 2018 and is currently on a six-fight winning streak. 

The 25-year old Mexican prospect will be fighting outside of Mexico for the first time in his career. He has a 22-1-0 (win-loss-draw) record with 16 knockouts.

His most recent bout was against Julian Yedras in Monterrey, Mexico, last December 4, 2020, where he won via a knockout. 

Ancajas is best remembered by most Filipino boxing fans as the winner of the historic all-Filipino world title clash between him and erstwhile world title contender Jonas “Zorro”, Sultan of the disbanded ALA Boxing Gym. 

Ancajas successfully defended his IBF world title against Sultan via unanimous decision in their fight, Fresno, Nevada, USA. It was the  first all-Filipino world title showdown in 93 years after Pancho Villa defeated Clever Sencio for the world flyweight title in 1925 in Manila.

Read: ‘King’ Arthur Villanueva feels he still got game 

/bmjo