‘I am the challenger and fighting in my opponent’s territory so I have to be dominant.’
Jerwin Ancajas climbs the ring against Japanese world champion Takuma Inoue next week armed with over 300 rounds of sparring. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF Joven Sports
Jerwin Ancajas doesn't intend to give defending champion Takuma Inoue the chance to impose his will when they collide for the World Boxing Association bantamweight crown this Saturday in Tokyo.
"I am the challenger and fighting in my opponent's territory so I have to be dominant," Ancajas said.
Joven Jimenez, the Filipino southpaw's trainer and manager, echoes Ancajas' sentiments.
"Jerwin and myself we both share the belief that every time you fight, you give your all. And that's exactly what's going to happen when we face Inoue this Saturday," Jimenez, a former member of the Philippine Navy, said.
Ancajas arrived in Tokyo on Sunday afternoon armed with over 300 rounds of sparring whose origins go as far back as August last year in Las Vegas.
Inoue, making the first defense of the title he had won in April last year, was supposed to meet Ancajas on 15 November but the WBA 118-lb champion suffered a rib injury.
At first, the postponement made Ancajas sulk but he was quick to recover and instead of crying over spilt milk, he moved on and set up camp in the Philippines.
If he dethrones Inoue, Ancajas will become the Philippines' only world champion following the stinging losses of Melvin Jerusalem and Marlon Tapales in 2023.
An Ancajas victory would also make him a two-division champion as he reigned as International Boxing Federation super-flyweight for almost six years from 2016 until 2022.
Though the underdog, Ancajas holds a huge edge in experience over Inoue, who, at 28, is about four years younger than his second title defense foe.
Ancajas has a 32-3-2 record with 23 knockouts while Inoue has an 18-1 ledger with four knockouts.
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