by Nick Giongco
“No, not at all,” said Sultan’s trainer Edito ‘Ala’ Villamor on Saturday, when asked if Ancajas’ heavy favorite status bothers the Zamboanga-bred challenger.
“He doesn’t have any respect to anyone, including the champion,” said Villamor, stressing that while they are not taking Ancajas for granted, Sultan is supremely confident that the title will change hands on May 26 in Fresno.
Villamor said that to get Sultan ready for the biggest battle of his ring career, additional training techniques had to be added to the regimen.
“We took a scientific approach,” said Villamor, stressing that topnotch conditioning coach Nick Curson of Redondo Beach, was hands-on.
Aside from the usual gym training sessions and roadwork, Sultan likewise had to go under Curson’s avant-garde conditioning system that entailed some bloodworks and other unusual methods aimed at giving Sultan an edge.
“We all know the magnitude of this fight,” Villamor, a two-time world title challenger, said.
Sultan, appearing at the Filipinotown for a meet-and-greet, wasn’t as provocative as Villamor but was nonetheless upbeat.
“I am smarter,” said Sultan (14-3 with nine KOs), whose clash with Ancajas will be the first all-Filipino world title fight in almost 100 years.
World flyweight titlist Pancho Villa beat Clever Sencio in the first all-Filipino title showdown in 1923 in Manila.
Ancajas (29-1 with 20 KOs) was also low-key in his address to the Filipinos and at one time was teary-eyed as he narrated his climb to the top of the division.
Still, Ancajas promised that he’s not about to hand the IBF 115-lb title on a silver platter.
“We worked hard to reach the top,” said Ancajas as he credited his success to his partnership with trainer manager Joven Jimenez.
Ancajas is making the fifth defense of the title after stopping his first four challengers.
