Jerwin Ancajas is no stranger to long travel times for his world title defenses. All five of his fights since lifting the IBF super flyweight title two years ago have been overseas, each requiring him to leave behind his wife and two sons. This time it was more difficult than usual to pack up and leave his Survival Camp base for the trip abroad.
"It used to just be a normal thing that my kids are in the Philippines. But now, I can't wait to see my daughter, I'm always looking for her," said Ancajas (30-1-1, 20 knockouts), who welcomed his first baby girl, Jacey Kiera, on September 16, just three days before flying out to Oakland, California. There he'll fight Mexico's Alejandro Santiago Barrios (16-2-4, 7 KOs) in his sixth title defense, set for Friday, September 28 (Saturday in the Philiippines) at the Oracle Arena.
"Hopefully we'll get the early knockout and go back home right away."
More than just getting back to holding his newborn, Ancajas also wants to get back to reminding fans why he had created so much excitement with his rise towards what seemed like inevitable stardom. For his first four title defenses, Ancajas tore through challengers with his counterpunches from a variety of angles and his withering body assault, resulting in four stoppages and earning him a promotional deal from Top Rank.
Ancajas' last fight, a unanimous decision over compatriot Jonas Sultan in May, was not the sort of crowd-pleasing performance that had typified his recent outings. Their styles clashed, and so too frequently did their heads, drawing boos from the restless crowd in Fresno. Afterwards, matchmaker Sean Gibbons reassured promoter Bob Arum that Ancajas was still the fighter he signed who could bring the excitement, and that he'd show it once the mandatory defense was out of the way.
"That wasn't Jerwin Ancajas, the one that you've come to know and love, the one that knocked out Israel Gonzalez, the one that beat Jamie Conlan," said Gibbons.
"You can have a great fighter, the best fighter in the world, but if they get a bad style, it can make any guy look bad."
Ancajas, 26, is hoping to show in his next bout, shown live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and ESPN5 in the Philippines, that he's ready for the big names in the divisions, like WBC titleholder Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, or former unified flyweight beltholder Juan Francisco Estrada. And he's also hoping to show he is entertaining enough to attract those fighters.
Santiago, 22, of Tijuana, Mexico, may be just what the doctor ordered. Rated no. 14 by the IBF, Santiago is the sort of in-your-face Mexican brawler who would bring out the fire in Ancajas' counterpunching style. He's not a stiff, however, and after two early points losses, Santiago showed he brings the fight on the road, holding then unbeaten fighter Antonio Nieves to a draw in New York. He then traveled twice to Puerto Rico to force stalemates with another undefeated boxer, Jose Martinez.
"He's also impressive because his style, his punches are very strong," said Ancajas, comparing Santiago's in-and-out style to that of Juan Estrada.
"We are really finding ways, really doing my best and training really well and conditioning [hard] so we can make up for the last fight, where our performance wasn't that good. Coach [Joven Jimenez] said we will be really aggressive in this fight and show the people what they want to see."
What makes the 115-pound division different from higher classes like welterweight and heavyweight is the absence of politics which provide roadblocks to making certain matchups. Though fighters like Sor Rungvisai, Estrada and Kazuto Ioka have been featured on HBO's "SuperFly" series, they aren't tied to the network the way others are tied to theirs.
"It's all about the dollars. If the fight makes sense, the fights will happen," said Gibbons, who also handles Jose Uzcategui, the IBF super middleweight titleholder who will fight a non-title bout in the card's main event. "No one's really sure what the schedule is like for HBO next year. It's just a matter of who gives the best financial deal out there."
Ancajas watched the SuperFly 3 card on September 8 from his training base, and saw as Estrada rebounded from his close loss to Sor Rungvisai with a decision win over Felipe Orucuta, and Donnie Nietes' bid to become a four-time world titleholder fell short in a draw with fellow Filipino boxer Aston Palicte. Ancajas declined to give his opinion on the Nietes-Palicte verdict, but said "I wish someone won between the two of them so we have a new champion now."
The division's forerunner Sor Rungvisai, who twice vanquished then-pound for pound champion Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, returns to action on October 6 against Iran Diaz in his native Thailand, after which he's likely to face Estrada again in another mandatory defense. Gibbons wants Ancajas to face the winner of that fight, or, either one of them if best laid plans fall through.
To make that happen, Ancajas has to remind fans and power brokers alike why he generated so much interest as a potential successor to Manny Pacquiao, and why so many believed he was more than just another fighter with a belt, but someone with potential to be special.
"I think he really has to come make a statement. He can't go out and put on a boring twelve-round fight," said Gibbons. "He has to go after this guy, he has to bang this guy and if he doesn't stop him, there's gotta be good two-way action where people are going 'wow, that's great, that's the Jerwin that we compared to a Manny Pacquiao,'" said Gibbons.
Ancajas, as he approaches his sixth title defense, remains ambitious, yet still humble and deferential to those tasked with guiding his career.
"I would like the opportunity to fight against other champions known in the 115 division, but I leave it to my manager, promoter and matchmaker," said Ancajas.