IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas is back!
The Filipino champ managed by Manny Pacquiao and promoted by Top Rank promotions put on a brutal beating of Japanese challenger Ryuichi Funai at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, CA on Saturday night live on ESPN.
Ancajas (31-1-2, 21 KOs) promised fans he would make up for his last two boring performances.
He fought in a timid fashion almost afraid to trade blows with his opponents Jonas Sultan and Alejandro Santiago using a point fighting style to win instead of his exciting power punching approach.
Tonight brought back the old vicious southpaw fight fans came to love.
In the mold of a young Manny Pacquiao, Ancajas wasted no time in punishing Funai (31-8, 22 KOs) to the body and head.
The punches sounded like shotgun blasts and the Japanese contender showed the heart of a Samurai by refusing to go down. No matter how many clean power shots Funai took he still kept pressing forward.
The referee and ringside physician kept an eye on Funai after each round to make sure he was okay because they know many times fighters who are taking punishment will say they are okay because they don’t want to quit.
The fourth round of the bout was where Funai took heavy punches to the body and head repeatedly but still pressed forward after getting rocked by Ancajas.
The fight was halted right at the started of the seventh round by the ringside doctor who examined the eyes of Funai and waved it off telling the referee the fighter was unfit to continue.
Ancajas delivered on his promise of being more exciting and displayed the killer instinct to compete with the other champions in the division. If he continues to deliver performances like this on ESPN he will surely gain more fans who can’t wait to see him fight again.
