Hero's welcome awaits triumphant Ancajas

MANILA, Philippines – Unless there’s a change of plan, reigning IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas will be paraded around town Thursday to celebrate his smashing US debut in Corpus Christi, Texas last Sunday.

A motorcade is set Thursday morning in Magallanes, Cavite, where the 26-year-old champion resides with his wife and two children, in a property which houses his training quarters and where their home is being built.

Ancajas arrived from Los Angeles Wednesday morning at around 5:30 a.m. He was met at the airport by his loved ones, including his wife, Ruth.

From the airport, the Ancajas family dropped by a small restaurant for breakfast before heading to Cavite.

Ancajas was supposed to pay a courtesy call to the town mayor Wednesday but it was called off. Instead, he rested the whole day with his family, including their children aged three years and two.

The new toast of Philippine boxing is not about to lower his guard, and plans to resume training in a couple of weeks.

Anytime, he might get a call from Top Rank chief Bob Arum regarding possible inclusion in a card being put up for April 14 in New York.

Ancajas was asked to judge his performance last Sunday, and said it’s not up to him to do that.

 “The viewers are the ones who can tell,” he said in Filipino. But he added that Arum was impressed with his performance.

“He (Arum) told me it was convincing and impressive. I’m happy that I made him happy,” said Ancajas.

Ancajas’ wife has prepared a victory celebration for the Filipino champion and their supporters today in their property, which they call “Survival Camp.”

Ancajas defended his IBF 115-pound crown with a 10th round stoppage of Mexico’s Israel Gonzalez, and made a very good impression on the US market.