Jerwin Ancajas pulled off a stunner on Saturday by dominating McJoe Arroyo to snatch the IBF super flyweight championship via unanimous decision at the Jurado Hall in Taguig City.
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Filipino judge Gil Co scored it 118-109, Puerto Rican judge Carlos Colon saw it closer at 115-113 and Japanese judge Takeo Harada had it at 117-110.
However, Ancajas’s strength was able to take control of the fight down the stretch, and was punctuated when he sent Arroyo through the ropes in the eighth after a body shot.
Arroyo, who dropped to 17-1-0 with 8 KOs, was best remembered for winning in controversial fashion the superflyweight title against ALA Boxing Gym’s Arthur Villanueva a year ago in the U.S.
He said he was “very happy to win the world title because he and trainer Joven Jimenez had sacrificed a lot”.
Ancajas had accepted just $3,750 of the $25,000 minimum purse bid for the fight, but wasn’t concerned about the purse as he felt he could make more money defending the title.
“I really respected him (Arroyo) as world champion. Even though the fight was held here, he still fought hard”, Ancajas of Panabo Davao del Norte told The Manila Times during the post-fight interview. “He was prepared and made me proud to be his promoter”.
During yesterday’s official weighin, Ancajas came in at the weight limit of 115 lbs.
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The win makes 4 current Filipino boxing champions, joining WBO bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales, WBO junior featherweight champion and IBF flyweight champ Johnriel Casimero.
