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Philippines, 20 Mar 2026 |
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DE LA VEGA: TEAM ANCAJAS LEAVES NO STONE UNTURNED By Ed de la Vega, DDS PhilBoxing.com Wed, 23 Oct 2019  It is so amazing to witness how Team Ancajas is approaching the title defense of the IBF Junior bantamweight champion, Jerwin Ancajas (31-1-2, 21KO) against a relatively unknown but certainly dangerous opponent in the person of Jonathan Javier Rodriguez (21-1-0, 15KO) of Luis Potosi, Mexico. Team Ancajas has been meticulously following a plan designed to maximize the chances of keeping the title of the mighty but shy world champion. For instance, the team that includes a nutritionist and a sparring partner arrived in Los Angeles well ahead of the fight date at the Dignity Health Sports Center at Carson, California. The early arrival is to manage the very fickle October Southern California weather. The weather at this time of the year in SoCal changes so rapidly that temperature during the daytime can be in the high 90’s but drops down at night to the 60’s. The Team's early arrival gives Ancajas the opportunity not only to get rid of jetlag but also to acclimatize so that whatever mother nature brings on the evening of November 2nd, Ancajas will be primed and ready to do battle at the famed open air arena at Carson, the home of the Los Angeles Chargers football team and the Los Angeles Galaxy, a soccer team. Top photo: The author (L) poses with Ancajas.  Ancajas' mouthguard. Then there is the matter of housing. Team Ancajas picked a place to stay at the heart of Redondo Beach, California, east of the LAX. The area is so quiet and serene that resting after a hard day’s training will be so easy. The place is an AirBnB and it sits on a nonchalant residential area obscure from the hangers-on and groupies that usually populate training residences of boxers. These folks almost always create chaos within the camp invariably leading to distraction, and not to mention consume so much food that adds up to the expenses of the Team. And, not to mention the free tickets they expect to get for the fight night. In addition, Team Ancajas also keeps track of gears for the fight; from the shoes to the fight attire to the groin protection and of course, the ever-important custom mouthguard. Tonight, Ancajas was fitted a custom mouthguard that befits a true champion. Ancajas personally preferred a red colored mouthguard with his moniker, “Pretty Boy” in white letters. At the same time he wanted one that also depict the color of the Philippine flag. Therefore, a four-layer mouthguard was specifically designed for him. The first layer is quad color red-white-blue-yellow to portray the Philippine flag. The second layer is a special harden material to protect his front teeth. The third layer is red in color with white trimmings and the fourth layer is a thin clear material to preserve the trimmings. All the layers were heat and pressure laminated together to form one solid block. “We came early so as to prepare for every detail we need to win this fight,” trainer Joven Jimenez told this writer, “because more than ever we are serious in keeping the belt and returning it to the Philippines where is has resided for many years,” he added. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.  |
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