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Ancajas vs. Gonzalez Is Co-Main Event To Gilberto Ramirez
vs. Habib Ahmed Feb. 3
Filipino fireball JERWIN "Pretty Boy" ANCAJAS will make his
U.S. debut, Saturday, February 3, at the American Bank
Center in Corpus Christi, TX. A protégé of Filipino icon
Senator Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, and promoted by Top Rank®,
MP Promotions and Joven Sports, Ancajas (26-1-1, 18 KOs), of
Cavite City, Cavite, Philippines, will be making the fourth
defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior
bantamweight world title against Top-10 contender ISRAEL
GONZALEZ (20-1, 8 KOs), of Cabo San Lucas, México. The
Ancajas - Gonzalez world championship fight will be the
co-main event to the GILBERTO "Zurdo" RAMÍREZ -HABIB "Wild
Hurricane" AHMED World Boxing Organization (WBO) super
middleweight world title rumble. Both fights will be
televised live and exclusively at 10:15 p.m. EST on ESPN and
ESPN Deportes and stream live on the ESPN App.
"I have had the opportunity to be ringside for Jerwin's
fights in Australia and in Macau and I see a lot of
similarities to his co-promoter Manny Pacquiao," said Hall
of Fame promoter Bob Arum. "Jerwin has a killer instinct
inside the ring and he is a great finisher. Just look at his
record. Jerwin has only gone the distance once in his last
14 fights!"
“Jerwin Ancajas, the IBF junior bantamweight world champion
and MP Promotions’ first world title holder, is an exciting
fighter who has not reached his full potential,” said
Pacquiao. “I am pleased to announce that we will have the
opportunity to get worldwide exposure through his upcoming
fights being televised on ESPN, with the help of the
legendary Bob Arum and Top Rank. We, at MP Promotions feel
that this opportunity will open the floodgates for Jerwin to
reach his full potential and continue to bring great honor
to the Philippines. That begins on February 3 in Corpus
Christi, Texas, live on ESPN, and we will be with him in
every step of the way throughout his journey.”
"I am thrilled to have Mr. Arum and Top Rank promoting my
career in the United States. As a Filipino boxer there is no
higher honor than to have Mr. Arum and Top Rank Boxing
promoting you," said Ancajas. "I also want to thank MP
promotions and Joven Sports for helping get me to this point
in my career and I look forward to following in the
footsteps of my Idol and promoter Manny Pacquiao. I want to
be a champion for a long time."
"We at Joven Sports are thrilled to be signing with Mr. Arum
and Top Rank boxing. There was only one choice when we
decided to go with a promoter in the United States," said
Joven Jimenez, president of Joven Sports and Ancajas'
co-promoter and trainer. "Mr. Arum has done so much for
Filipino boxing over the years. We are honored to be
promoted by him . Also I want to thank co-promoter Manny
Pacquiao and MP Promotions for all they have done and we
hope to have the tremendous success that our promoter Manny
has had in boxing."
Ancajas captured the IBF junior bantamweight world title
last year, dethroning defending undefeated champion McJoe
Arroyo via a dominate 12-round unanimous decision. It was
the only fight Ancajas has gone the distance in his last 14
bouts dating back to 2012. He has successfully defended the
title three times -- all in 2017 and all by stoppage --
against Jose Rodriguez (32-4) in Macau; Teiru Kinoshita
(25-1-1) in Brisbane, Australia, under the Manny Pacquiao -
Jeff Horn world title fight; and on November 18, Jamie
Conlan (19-0), in Conlan's native Belfast.
Gonzalez returns to the ring riding an eight-bout winning
streak with five of those victories coming by way of
knockout. The former WBC FECOMBOX super flyweight champion
is currently world rated No. 9 by the IBF.
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