By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

IT was a third successful title defense of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world junior bantamweight title for Filipino Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas after he stopped by technical knockout challenger Jamie “Irish Gatti” Conlan in the sixth round of their fight early yesterday morning in Belfast, Ireland.

Fighting in enemy territory, Panabo City native Ancajas showed it hardly mattered as he dominated the Irishman right from the get-go, sending the latter to the canvas four times throughout the duration of the title clash.

Mr. Conlan first went down in the opening round albeit from some discomfort and not necessarily from a hit by Mr. Ancajas. The hometown bet eventually was able to continue the fight.

In the second and third rounds, Mr. Ancajas continued to batter his opponent with steady hits on the head and body and eventually sent Mr. Conlan down in the third frame.

The fourth saw the 25-year-old Filipino champ being calculated but his potency continued, peppering Mr. Conlan with combinations en route to sending him down anew as the round drew to a close.

Mr. Conlan showed better form in the fifth but the true champion that he is, Mr. Ancajas would adjust and stem the tide anew in his favor as the round progressed.

The sixth round turned out to be the end for Mr. Conlan as his aggressiveness did not work as he got a solid right to the side of the head from Mr. Ancajas as he pressed forward, sending him to the canvas for a fourth time and prompting the referee to wave off the fight and proclaim Mr. Ancajas the winner.

With the win, Mr. Ancajas improved to 28-1-1 while dealing Mr. Conlan (19-1) his first career defeat.

It was the third successful defense for Mr. Ancajas of the title he seized from Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo in September last year, after wins over Mexican Jose Alfredo Rodriguez in January and Japanese Teiru Kinoshita in July.

The win was also his 15th straight.

THINGS BODE WELL
After a successful title retention, one local combat sports writer and observer believes things bode well for Mr. Ancajas moving forward and that he is one fighter that local fans should look at as the next big Filipino boxing champion.

“Ancajas showed in this fight that he could beat his opponents in a variety of ways. In the first two rounds, he out-punched Conlan who was expected to be the aggressor heading into the fight. Then he outboxed the Irish outside the distance with his footwork which threw him off his timing before finishing him in the sixth,” said Mike Miguel, who writes for local sites DojoDrifter.com and Tiebreaker Times, when asked by BusinessWorld for his thoughts on the fight.

“His versatility alone can earn the Pinoy boxing fans’ admiration. And if this trend continues, Ancajas has the makings of a future star in boxing,” he added.

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