ALL roads lead to Las Vegas, Nevada, the mecca of pro boxing, for International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight (115 lbs.) champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas.
Ancajas is all set to make his Las Vegas debut on Sunday, February 27 (Manila time), when he defends the IBF hardware for the 10th time opposite Fernando Daniel Martinez of Argentina.
Ancajas is already on record as the second longest-reigning champion among today’s batch of world champions. He has been the IBF junior bantamweight king since September 2016, when he defeated Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo in Taguig City.
Only World Boxing Association minimumweight champ Knockout CP Freshmart (Thammanoon Niyomtrong in real life) of Thailand enjoys a longer title reign, having held the 105-pound crown since June 2016.
Then again, Freshmart has been locked up in Thailand, opting to defend his title on home soil. Ancajas has been a globetrotter, defending the crown in places like Brisbane, Macao, Texas, California, and Belfast.
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Ancajas is going for the full media exposure this weekend as he struts his fistic wares at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ancajas, 33-1, 2 draws with 22 knockouts, was supposed to fight in Japan last year opposite World Boxing Organization (WBO) counterpart Kazuto Ioka. The unification fight was called off after Japan closed its borders due to the surge of Covid-19.
The unification fight is still in the cards, though.
Ioka, 28-2 with 15 knockouts, defended his WBO junior bantamweight title last December 31 with a hard-earned decision over countryman Ryoji Fukunaga.
Fukunaga was a last-minute substitute for Ancajas and he came out strong in the early rounds. Ioka gathered his bearings and regained control of the fight in the fifth round on his way to a unanimous verdict.
Ioka, who made his fourth defense of the WBO title, is now playing the waiting game. The Japanese is definitely keeping a close tab on the result of the Ancajas-Martinez fight.
Make no mistake, Ancajas is the heavy favorite to prevail over the relatively inexperienced Martinez.
Martinez, 30, hails from Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina, and totes a record of 13-0 with 8 knockouts. When Martinez turned pro in August 2017, Ancajas was just a month short of celebrating his first year as IBF world champ.
Nicknamed “El Pumita,” Martinez started boxing at around 11 years old but spent his early years in the amateur ranks. He competed in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil but lost his opening match against Daniel Asenov of Bulgaria.
Martinez turned pro in August 2017 and won Argentina’s local flyweight crown in his fourth paid contest. In December 2019, Martinez traveled to East London and won the World Boxing Council’s Silver junior bantamweight crown with an 11th round knockout of South African Athenkosi Dumezweni.
Martinez is ranked only No. 11 by the IBF and the quality of his opponents leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
Martinez’s last fight in August 2021 was an eight-rounder, against an opponent (Gonzalo Duran) who had a 19-21 won-lost record.
Eight months before the Duran fight, Martinez barely escaped defeat with a razor-close split-decision win over Angel Aquino, a fighter who had a 7-3 won-lost record.
Still, Martinez offers an all-action style in the ring. He loves to press forward and owns a good left hook-overhand right combination.
The clubbing overhand right is Martinez’s knockout weapon, but the way he delivers it leaves him wide open for Ancajas’ straight left.
For somebody who fought in the Olympics as an amateur, Martinez’s pro style is unpolished. He offers a gung-ho, devil-may-care style on offense, creating a lot of loopholes on defense.
Ancajas is the heavy pick to prevail over Martinez, possibly by late-round stoppage.
Ancajas, 30, offers a more polished style and the ring experience he will carry with him in the ring is a decisive advantage. Ancajas’ list of victims is way more impressive. In the case of Martinez, two of his last five opponents had losing records.
A victory by Ancajas over Martinez will likely bring forth the unification showdown with Ioka. Insiders have it that the fight will likely take place in May, with Japan as a possible venue.
You can say that the ball is now in Ancajas hands as far as his fight with Ioka is concerned. Ioka kept the fight alive by beating Fukunaga and it was now Ancajas’ turn to deliver against Martinez.
Ancajas is in a critical stretch as junior bantamweight champ. It is possible that he may be down to his last two fights in the 115-pound division and these fights may be against Martinez and Ioka. If Ancajas hurdles the two, he may be on his way to the bantamweight (118 lbs.) division for more lucrative fights.
