By Nick Giongco
LOS ANGELES – Instead of recharging his batteries, reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas got dressed for training twice on Sunday.
Not because Ancajas is playing catch-up since Sunday is normally rest day for fighters.
But not for Ancajas, who makes a mandatory defense of the IBF115-lb crown against fellow Filipino Jonas Sultan on May 26 in Fresno, a matchup that will be the first all-Filipino world title fight since Pancho Villa beat Clever Sencio in Manila almost 100 years ago.
“This will enable Jerwin to be spending the day without having to be concerned about his weight and condition,” said lead trainer Joven Jimenez, who presided over the two workouts held at the Homewood Suites-Hilton in Redondo Beach.
“Jerwin still affords to eat full meals because he burns it in training,” said Jimenez.
While most fighters are already being starved in the final days leading to the weighin, that’s not the case with Ancajas, whose lunch consisted of the staple brown rice and chicken adobo.
In the evening, Ancajas was served another cup of brown rice and fish cooked in vinegar and a small serving of oranges.
Since arriving here last week, Ancajas hardly went out of his hotel room. There were only two occasions when he had to go out and that was to attend a major function hosted by the Filipino community.
The other time was when Ancajas go to a nearby gym to train.
“We are guarding his health…we don’t want him to catch a cold or any virus,” said Jimenez.
“This is a major fight, a fight that we have to win convincingly,” added Jimenez.
Meanwhile, Team Ancajas will travel to Fresno, 220 miles to the north, on Tuesday as US agent Sean Gibbons is doing his best to expedite their travel documents for next week’s trip to Italy for the IBF convention.
