Jerwin Ancajas of the Philippines watches after dropping Israel Gonzalez of Mexico. Photo taken from Top Rank Boxing’s Twitter account (@trboxing)
Just when Jerwin Ancajas and Jonas Sultan were ready to rumble on April 14, their historic fight has to be moved in May.
Reason: Terence Crawford, who was supposed to challenge Jeff Horn for the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown in the main event injured his right hand in sparring, necessitating the entire card set at Mandalay Bay to be rescheduled.
Ancajas’ defense of the International Boxing Federation’s junior bantamweight crown against Sultan will mark the first time in 93 years that two Filipinos would dispute a world title. On May 2, 1925, Pancho Villa retained his flyweight title at the expense of Clever Sencio.
Both Joven Jimenez, chief trainer and manager of Ancajas, and Michael Aldeguer, president and CEO of ALA Promotions which handles Sultan, have been informed of the development by Top Rank Promotions of Bob Arum.
According to matchmaker Sean Gibbons, Arum is looking at May 12 or late May as the new probable dates of the fight card.
Gibbons, who arranged Ancajas’ successful fourth title defense against Mexican Israel Gonzalez in Corpus Christi, Texas, last month, said Arum hoped to finalize the new schedule in the next few days.
Actually, Top Rank also reserved April 28 in Philadelphia for the Ancajas-Sultan tussle, but later opted for a WBO super bantamweight title clash between Jessie Magdaleno and mandatory challenger Isaac Dogboe. —ROY LUARCA