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Philippines, 01 Jun 2025 |
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ANCAJAS: New Kid on the Block By Edwin G. Espejo PhilBoxing.com Mon, 05 Feb 2018  Being southpaws are about the only similarity between boxing's new kid on the block Jerwin Ancajas and all-time great Manny Pacquiao. Manny was an energy bunny who overwhelms his opponent with volume punches coming from all directions. Jerwin is a patient methodical surgeon who punches with textbook precision. Unlike Manny who became an overnight sensation with his brutal destruction of Lehlo Ledwaba to capture the super bantamweight crown in his American debut after toiling his wares in "far away Thailand, Japan and Korea", Jerwin was a relatively unknown super flyweight champion defending his crown for the first time in American soil. Manny, too, was already a local boxing superstar while Ancajas went barely unnoticed even as he already defended his title three other times before bursting into the American boxing audience. Oh, I almost forgot. There is another similarity, albeit unflattering. Color commentators of both their US debuts had hard times pronouncing their last names. Pekyeow and Ankeyjas. But one thing good that followed Manny's ascension to boxing fame is that it opened the floodgates for Filipino beak busters to carve names of their own. How many champions have we produced after Manny shoot to fame? Let me count my ways. onito Donaire, Gerry Penalosa, Marvin Sonsona, Donnie Nietes, Brian Viloria, Sonny Boy Jaro, Rodel Mayol, Marlon Tapales, Florante Condes, John Riel Casimero, Milan Melindo and a few others I may have missed. Of them, Donaire, Pe?alosa and Viloria became their own celebrities although several rung under Pacquiao. Their longevity was not as durable as Pacquiao, however. But they had quite a good run. Ancajas promises to be another Filipino boxing rallying figure, with Pacquiao's boxing sheen already dulled by age, inactivity and politics. The shy 26-year old Panabo City super flyweight champion has age on his side. At about the same age as Ancajas is now, Pacquiao was destroying the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera and fighting the best in the divisions - Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales. Ancajas is not there yet. He has yet to face the best in the super flyweight class and move to higher weight divisions to cement and create his own niche in the boxing world. Not yet there but might as will be on his way. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Edwin G. Espejo.  |
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