Ancajas leads top honorees in Elorde Memorial Awards

MANILA, Philippines — Jerwin Ancajas, one of three 2017 Most Outstanding Athletes of the Philippine Sportswriters Association for his three successful title defenses in the past year, also leads a trio of Boxers of the Year honorees in the 18th Annual Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Awards and Banquet of Champions on March 25 at The Grandballroom of the Okada Manila.

Ancajas, the busiest boxer of the past year, conquered all contenders to his IBF junior bantamweight crown to gain the highest accolade of the PSA, the oldest and most prestigious sports organization in the country, and the Flash Elorde Memorial Awards, the only institution honoring Filipino professional world and national boxing champions annually since it was launched 18 years ago.

The other PSA Athletes of the Year for 2017 are Krizziah Lyn Tabora of bowling and Carlo Biado of billiards. 

After gaining the IBF junior bantamweight crown with a unanimous decision over McJoe Arroyo of  Puerto Rico in 2016, the Panabo, Davao native, who turned pro in 2009, went on to successfully defend the title thrice last year.

He stopped Jose Alfredo Rodriguez of Mexico in the seventh round in their bout in Macau on Jan. 29, won by  a seventh round TKO over Teiru Kinoshita of Japan on July 2, and a sixth round TKO of Jamie Corlan of the UK in Belfast, Northern Ireland in freezing weather on Nov. 11.

Ancajas, born on New Year’s Day in 1992,  ended  2017 with 28 wins, one loss, one draw with 19 KOs. His only loss was in his 15th pro fight.

Two other 2017 world champions share the limelight in the Elorde Memorial Awards, held in memory of Da Flash, the post-war boxing legend who was the first Filipino to be enshrined to the International Boxing Hall of Fame for his uninterrupted seven-year reign, from 1960, as world junior lightweight champion.

They are WBO world bantamweight champion Marlon Tapales and IBF world light flyweight titleholder Milan Melindo. 

Tapales, who wrested the WBO bantamweight crown from Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu in 2016, defended his title with an 11th round TKO win over Japanese Omori Shohei in Osaka, Japan on April 23, 2017. However, the title was declared vacant after Tapales failed to make the weight.

Melindo (37-3-0 with 13 KOs) became the IBF light flyweight champion on May 21, 2017 with a spectacular first round TKO of Japanese Akira Yagashi in Tokyo. He retained the crown with a split decision over Hekkie Budler of South Africa in Cebu on Sept. 16 before he yielded it at the end of the year via a unanimous decision to Ryoichi Taguchi of Japan on Dec. 31 at the Ota City General Gymnasium.

The Elorde Awards Night, to coincide with the 83rd birth anniversary of the boxing hero will also have  championship boxing matches to spice up the evening.  This will also  assemble world, international and national champions who will be joined by former champions in the exclusive Banquet of Champions. 

Multiple-division champions Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire have been invited for the “Casting of the Fist Hour” as former awardees in the Elorde Boxing Hall of Fame.

Also to receive awards are the best fight and most promising fighter, best judge, best referee and promoter, best trainer, best amateur boxer as well as individuals and institutions that made enormous contributions to professional boxing.

The Awards Night is being presented by the Elorde family led by the boxing hero’s wife Laura and son Johnny.

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