Jerwin Ancajas is working out for his February 2024 fight against Takuma Inoue. (Photo by Naoki Fukuda)
MANILA, Philippines – Jerwin Ancajas’ homecoming ended in a somewhat unsatisfying victory as he secured a disqualification victory over Thailand’s Sukpraserd Ponpitak in their scheduled 10-round featherweight bout on Sunday at the Mandaluyong City College Gym. Part of the “Blow-By-Blow” boxing series, the bout was marred by repeated fouls from the Thai veteran, eventually leading to a sudden stoppage in the fifth round.
Ancajas, the former IBF junior bantamweight titleholder, wasted no time asserting himself. The Filipino southpaw dropped Ponpitak early in the first round with a sharp right hook, which caught the Thai cold and set the pace for the rest of the bout. As Ponpitak recovered from the takedown, Ancajas continued to find his rhythm, landing a series of clean combinations as he took command of the fight.
However, what started as a dominant performance from Ancajas soon turned into an ugly affair. Ponpitak, at 36 years old and clearly beaten, turned to rowhouse tactics. In the third round, the Thai was cautioned for excessively holding Ancajas and sweeping him to the canvas, actions which cost him a point deduction. Despite the warnings, Ponpitak continued to use illegal moves, repeatedly pinning and pinning Ancajas to the ground.
In the fifth round, after Ponpitak cornered Ancajas again, the referee saw enough and disqualified the Thai for his repeated violations, awarding Ancajas a win by disqualification.
It was a bittersweet triumph for Ancajas, who fought in front of his home crowd for the first time since his February loss to Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5 KO) in a WBA bantamweight title challenge. The disqualification victory raises his record to 35-4-2 (23 KOs), but the nature of the victory left many in attendance wishing for a more decisive conclusion. Ponpitak, whose rough tactics overshadowed what could have been a more competitive fight, drops to 30-20 (20 KOs).
Despite the less-than-ideal finish, Ancajas still displayed the sharpness and power that made him a champion. His precise combinations and ring generalship were on full display, even if the fight’s premature conclusion robbed him of a potential knockout.
With this victory under his belt, Ancajas can now focus again on his way back to the world title fight. Whether he stays at featherweight or decides to move back down to junior bantamweight, the “Pretty Boy” still has plenty of fight left in him. As he continues to rebuild after recent setbacks, Ancajas remains a dangerous presence in any division he chooses to campaign in.
