THREE-TIME world title challenger Arthur Villanueva is in the US to help out former world champion Jerwin Ancajas in his upcoming world title fight.
Villanueva will be one of Ancajas’ main sparring partners for his upcoming bout with World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue on Nov. 15, 2023 in Japan.
“I will train there and spar with Jerwin,” the 34-year-old Villanueva, a former ALA Boy, told SunStar Cebu.
Villanueva will be training and sparring with Ancajas at the Knuckleheads Boxing and Fitness Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Villanueva also hopes to get a fight in the US, possibly in December.
Villanueva is coming off a fourth round technical knockout over Thai Chatre Buakaewdee in Thailand on June 29.
Villanueva last fought in the US back in 2016, in which he scored a second round knockout of Juan Jimenez in Carson, California.
Villanueva has fought for a world title three times in his career. He fought McJoe Arroyo for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight title and lost by technical decision in Texas in 2015. Villanueva then faced Zolani Tete for the interim World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight strap and lost by unanimous decision in England in 2017. Villanueva’s final world title attempt was against Nordine Oubaali for the World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title and he lost by a sixth round stoppage in Kazakhstan in 2019. He retired from boxing but made a comeback in 2021 and has won three fights in a row.
Villanueva is currently rated No. 18 by the WBC. He has a record of 34-4-1 with 20 knockouts. / EKA