FORMER International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas faces Thai journeyman Sukprased Ponpitak in a 10-rounder in one of the main featured fights of Manny Pacquiao’s “Blow-by-Blow” boxing show on Sept. 22, 2024 at the Mandaluyong Gymnasium in Mandaluyong City.
Ancajas is in dire need of a win because he’s currently on a rough patch in his career. He dropped three of his last four contests, all of which were world title fights.
Ancajas won the IBF super-flyweight strap with a unanimous victory over McJoe Arroyo in 2016 and held the title for five years with nine successful title defenses.
He lost his belt to Fernando Martinez by unanimous decision in 2022 and again in a rematch later that year.
Ancajas had a chance to win a second division world title but lost to Takuma Inoue in a World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight title fight in Japan on Feb. 24, 2024. It was his first career loss by knockout.
At 32 years old, Ancajas still has enough time to work his way back up and become a world champion again. Right now, he’s ranked No. 8 by the WBA and No. 20 by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
Ponpitak is a 15-year veteran with 49 pro bouts. He has fought elite fighters like Mark Magsayo, Billy Dib, and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
The 37-year-old Ponpitak won his last fight by majority decision over Mikael Arutyunyan in Thailand on
June 27, 2024.
Ancajas has a win-loss-draw recortd of 34-4-2 with 23 knockouts, while Ponpitak stands at 30-19 with
20 knockouts.
Manny Pacquiao’s Blow-by-Blow show is headlined by World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem (22-3, 12 KOs) defending his title against undefeated Mexican Luis Castillo (21-0-1, 13 KOs). / EKA