Ancajas eager to prove himself in US bout

FILE — Jerwin Ancajas. Photo by Mark Giongco

At this stage, Jerwin Ancajas is supposed to be tapering down for his defense of the International Boxing Federation junior bantamweight crown against Mexican Israel Gonzalez on Feb. 3 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

But since arriving in Los Angeles on Thursday (Friday in Manila), Ancajas has been very active, as always.

He and trainer Joven Jimenez, along with fellow Panabo City pride Mark Anthony Barriga, a 2012 London Olympian and unbeaten mini flyweight (8-0), have been running in the morning and putting in gym work twice a day.

Ancajas, 28-1-1 with 19 knockouts, wants to be sure he’s in optimum form when he makes a fourth defense of the crown he wrested from Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo in 2016.

The 26-year-old southpaw intends to use the fight, to be covered by ESPN, against Gonzales (21-1, 8 knockouts), as a showcase of his immense skills.

Ancajas also wants to prove to his new promoter, Bob Arum, that he is worthy of the two-year, six-fight contract he inked with Top Rank.

The Las Vegas-based Arum went to Los Angeles Friday to give Ancajas a quick tour of Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym, where Manny Pacquiao earned his US spurs, in Hollywood.

Arum brought the media along and Ancajas was overwhelmed by the gesture.

Jimenez told the Inquirer that Ancajas did not suffer from jet lag so they can have good training sessions to go over their fight plans for Gonzalez.

As in his three successful title defenses, Ancajas is in no hurry to stop the Mexican.

According to Jimenez, Ancajas will study Gonzalez first and will likely make his move by the third round.

Team Ancajas will leave for Houston on Sunday, taking the connecting flight to Corpus Christi on the same day.