By Nick Giongco
Fresh from seeing Jerwin Ancajas put on an electrifying performance in the US, Ernesto Saulong gets ready to rumble for a world title.
On March 1 in Tokyo, Saulong challenges Ryosuke Iwasa of Japan for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-bantam crown.
A protege of Laguna businessman Ariel Araja and trained by Joven Jimenez, the voice in Ancajas’ corner, Saulong feels he can score an upset and stun the crowd at the Kokugikan Sumo Arena, the same venue where Gerry Peñalosa had won a world title 21 years ago.
“We’ve been carefully studying Iwasa’s fights on video,” said Saulong (21-2-1 with eight KOs) in Pilipino from his training camp in Magallanes, Cavite.
The southpaw Iwasa (24-2 with 16 KOs), also 28 years old like his Filipino foe, will be making the first title defense.