JERWIN “THE PRETTY BOY” ANCAJAS defends his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight crown against mandatory challenger Jonathan Javier Rodriguez of Mexico on Sunday, a fight that took almost one-and-a-half years to happen.
Ancajas and Rodriguez were supposed to square off on November 2, 2019, in Los Angeles but the Mexican encountered issues with his US visa. The fight was reset for April 11 in Las Vegas but was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Finally, the two will take the ring this weekend at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, but without the fans.
“We worked so hard, and prepared so well because we’ve been waiting for this fight to happen for more than a year,” Ancajas (32-1-2 win-loss-draw record with 22 knockouts) told a virtual press conference organized by Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime on Friday.
Ancajas said he expects Rodriguez (22-1 record with 16 knockouts) to be fighting like a raging bull in the 12-round duel, but the Panabo City pride said he is ready.
“He [Rodriguez] is really determined to dethrone me, but I am ready for my ninth title defense,” said Ancajas, whose campaign is also supported by Engineer Gilbert Cruz’s Big Boss Cement.
Ancajas last fought on December 7, 2019 in Puebla, Mexico, scoring a sixth-round technical knockout victory over Chilean Miguel Gonzales.
Unbeaten Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo (21-0 record with 14 knockouts), meanwhile, takes on American Pablo Cruz (21-3 record with six knockouts) in a 10-round non-title featherweight bout in the undercard.
Russian welterweight Sergey Lipinets faces American Jaron Ennis in the main event of the Tom TGB Promotions card that also features Eimantas Stanionis of Lithuania battling Thomas Dulorme of Puerto Rico.
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