MANILA, Philippines – While many boxers feel terrible and dehydrated when they step on the scale, Jerwin Ancajas was smiling from sucked-in cheek-to-cheek during Friday?s weigh-in. Ancajas looked more like a man getting ready to greet well-wishers at his birthday party than someone about to fight in his first world championship bout.
The 23-year-old fighter is looking forward to his fight against IBF junior bantamweight champ McJoe Arroyo on Saturday, September 3, but is also looking ahead after making a significant wager on himself in the form of a hometown fight.
Ancajas (23-1-1, 16 knockouts) checked in at the weight limit of 115 pounds ahead of his challenge against IBF junior bantamweight champ McJoe Arroyo (17-0, 8 KOs), who was just under at 114 pounds. The fight takes place at the Philippine Navy Gym in Taguig City, Philippines. The show is free-to-all with the doors opening at 4 pm. The main event is expected to go on at 9 pm.
The fight had been delayed multiple times for a variety of reasons, and was originally set for February in Arroyo?s backyard of Puerto Rico. When the main event between Roman ?Rocky? Martinez and Orlando Salido was canceled the whole card was scrapped and the fight was sent to a purse bid. The only promoter to issue a bid was Manny Pacquiao?s MP Promotions for the minimum of $25,000.
Under a purse bid, the champion is entitled to 85% while the challenger receives 15%. While Ancajas was promised $40,000 for the original fight date in Puerto Rico, he?s only entitled to $3,750 under the new purse bid. It?s considerably smaller than his non-title purses for fights in Macau, for which he made $10,000 each. Arroyo receives $21,250 under the bid.
?Everybody here is in this business to make money. We know from the beginning that this is not the best place to make money for everybody,? said Arroyo?s promoter Peter Rivera, president of PR Best Boxing Promotions.
