LOS ANGELES?If Jonas Sultan thinks he?s faster than Jerwin Ancajas, then he?s likely mistaken.
?I don?t think so because I can see his punches (based on fight tapes),? Ancajas told Filipino sportswriters Thursday night at his room in Homewood Suites Hilton here.
And Ancajas believes no amount of training for their International Boxing Federation junior bantamweight title duel in Fresno, Calif., on May 26 will drastically make Sultan faster.
Sultan is basing his assumption on his 2-inch height disadvantage against the 5-foot-6 Ancajas.
As for Sultan?s assertion that it will be a race for the knockout, Ancajas said such words only spur him to do even better in his fifth title defense.
?I?m drawing inspiration from his pronouncements,? Ancajas said in Filipino. ?It challenges me because I can feel his confidence. That?s why I?m seeking premium conditioning for this fight.?
Ancajas sweated it out at the fitness center Thursday morning then returned in the evening to shadow-box, do mitts work, run some more on the treadmill and do abdominal exercises.
Chief trainer Joven Jimenez spent the most time with Ancajas on the mitts before letting Delfin Boholst, a former national team member, take over.
Boholst then turned over the job to 1990 Beijing Asian Games gold medalist Robert Jalnaiz, who joined the training staff upon Team Ancajas? arrival here on Tuesday.
Also present were IBF minimumweight top contender Mark Anthony Barriga, who recorded the training session which lasted more than an hour.
Having undergone more rounds than planned, Ancajas was given a body rubdown while sprawled on the mat.
Training will continue at The Rock Boxing Gym on Friday and the Wild Card West on Saturday, before the team leaves for Fresno on Monday.
Ancajas and Sultan, who is spending the final phase of his training at the famed Wild Card Gym in Hollywood of Freddie Roach, are expected to cross paths when they attend a meet-and-greet coordinated by Jhay Otamias for the Filipino-American community on Saturday morning at the historic Filipino Town.
According to Ancajas, he feels ready to do battle, putting his current physical and mental efficiency at 90%, only because he doesn?t want to get overconfident.
He treats Sultan as a dangerous foe, eager to wrest his belt, which his team left behind in its haste to get Italian visas on Tuesday but was brought here Thursday.
Unable to facilitate the process, Jimenez decided to withdraw his group’s application and forego its plan to attend the IBF convention, where Ancajas was supposed to be given a ring for making 3 successful title defenses last year.
