BY NICK GIONGCO
A February 22 date is in the works for Jerwin Ancajas to make the ninth defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-flyweight crown, the Filipino champion’s official representative said on Thursday.
“We were told to be on standby,” said Ancajas’ chief handler and head trainer Joven Jimenez, adding Sean Gibbons is doing the negotiations.
Gibbons is currently in Las Vegas, headquarters of Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., confirming Jimenez’s statement.
“Possible that Jerwin fight late-February,” said Gibbons, also the MP Promotions president, from Sin City.
The opponent being looked at is Jonathan Rodriguez of Mexico, who was supposed to battle Ancajas last November in Carson, California.
Rodriguez failed to arrive in the US and Top Rank was forced to scrap the fight and put Ancajas on a Dec. 7 show in Puebla, Mexico, instead where he easily stopped Chilean Miguel Gonzalez.
If Gibbons strikes a deal, the Ancajas-Rodriguez fight will be held in Las Vegas.
Even during his 28th birthday last Jan. 1, Ancajas showed up for training at the Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite.
