A mouthwatering matchup – a battle between two reigning world champions at super-flyweight – looms on the horizon for Japanese Naoya Inoue and Filipino Jerwin Ancajas.
According to reports from Japan, Inoue, the WBO titleholder, told boxing man Alex Iwamatsu that he intends to face IBF ruler Ancajas on Dec. 30, a day when Japanese promoters put up at least three world title fights on one card.
Inoue, 24, just returned to Tokyo after making his US debut over the weekend.
Unbeaten in 14 fights with 12 KOs, Inoue is nicknamed ‘Monster’ owing to his paralyzing power.
But Ancajas, 25, and a holder of a 27-1-1 slate with 18 KOs, welcomes Inoue’s dare.
Joven Jimenez, manager and trainer of Ancajas, feels his fighter is ripe and ready for somebody like Inoue.
“Handa kami sa ganyang laban,” said Jimenez, stressing that there had been efforts before to pit them together.
Ancajas is likewise still fresh from retaining his crown, having stopped Teiru Kinoshita on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn slugfest in Brisbane, Australia.
This early, Ancajas’s camp is looking forward to the start of negotiations, adding that they are dying to see Ancajas collide with Inoue.
“Gustong gusto namin yan,” said Jimenez.
Ancajas is aligned with Sen. Many Pacquiao’s MP Promotions although it is Sean Gibbons, formerly of Top Rank, who acts as official matchmaker/agent.
