Ancajas wants to test Inoue’s patience

Ancajas wants to test Inoue’s patience

MANILA, Philippines — Jerwin Ancajas could only wish that Takuma Inoue, the WBA bantamweight champion, wouldn’t consider changing his style so close to their title showdown in Tokyo on Feb. 24.

“Sana hindi na magbabago ‘yung style ni Takuma pagdating sa laban,” the 32-year-old Ancajas, now the challenger, said yesterday during a brief interview with Power and Play host Noli Eala.

Ancajas, who held the IBF junior bantamweight crown from 2016 to 2022, is hard-pressed to beat the younger brother of undisputed super-bantamweight king Naoya Inoue.

He has dropped two of his last three fights, against

ABACArgentina’s Fernando Martinez at 115 pounds, and knows too well he’s in a must-win situation.

Currently, there’s no Filipino world champion in boxing, when at one point or simultaneously over the past decade there was a handful that stood on top of different weight classes.

“Wala po tayong world champion ngayon. Sana ako po ang una,” added Ancajas, who leaves for Japan today with his team led by head trainer Joven Jimenez.

Promoter Sean Gibbons said Inoue, 28 years old and 18-1 inside the ring, is a perfect fit for Ancajas, 32, the more experienced boxer at 34-3-2 with 23 knockouts.

“Pinag-aralan na namin si Takuma pero baka pagdating sa ring mag-iba din. Hindi pa siya ganoon ka-patient sa taas ng ring. Minsan kapag tinatamaan, susugod agad,” said Ancajas, nicknamed “Pretty Boy.”

“Hindi kagaya ng mga experienced boxers, na kapag tinamaan, nag-iisip muna. Si Takuma, pag tinamaan, nagiging agresibo,” he added.

Inoue, the favorite, has been floored once but like Ancajas has never been knocked out. He has a good chin and stamina. Six of his last eight fights went the full distance of 12 rounds.

The Japanese is coming off a 10-month layoff while Ancajas last fought eight months ago.

The fight, originally set last November but was postponed due to Inoue’s injury in training, will take place at the Kokugikan Arena, a site originally built in 1909 and has served as battleground for countless sumo bouts.