Julaton inspired by Manny

MANILA, Philippines - WBO women’s superbantamweight champion Ana (Hurricane) Julaton said the other day she was aware that challenger Franchesca (The Chosen One) Alcanter tried to goad her into engaging but stuck to her fight plan in pounding out a unanimous 10-round decision in their recent title bout at the Craneway Pavilion in Point Richmond, California.

Julaton, making the first defense of the crown in her second reign as WBO 122-pound titlist, said it wasn’t easy beating Alcanter.

“She was in great shape even if she hadn’t fought in nearly two years,” said Julaton. “She wanted my belt. She was strong and tried to lure me in so she could land her power shots. She even did the rope-a-dope. Honestly, I didn’t think she was that smart. She did things to get me to fight her fight. But I remembered what coach Freddie (Roach) told me to do. During our workouts, he kept telling me my speed and jab would be the key to beating Franchesca.”

Julaton spoke to The STAR at the Planet Jupiter gym in Makati while WBA lightwelterweight champion Amir Khan worked out with Roach. Also in the gym were Khan’s strength and conditioning coach Michael Vale, his uncle Taz, friend Bill Singh, Julaton’s manager Angelo Reyes and writer Dennis Guillermo.

“I had to adjust a little bit when I realized what Franchesca was doing,” said Julaton who had no marks on her face to show two weeks after the bout. “What I’m looking forward to is fighting in Manila. They’re talking about it now. We’re in negotiations and I hope it happens. There’s nothing like fighting before your countrymen.”

Although Julaton was born and raised in the US, she is a full-blooded Filipina. Her parents Cesar and Emilia are pure Filipinos. She finished up to second year at the City College of San Francisco. It is her third trip to Manila.

Julaton, 30, said if there’s ever an opportunity to represent the Philippines in the Olympics, she’ll be first in line to volunteer. Women’s boxing will be introduced at the London Olympics next year but is open only to amateurs, disqualifying Julaton.

Reyes said Manny Pacquiao was Julaton’s inspiration for the Alcanter bout.

“Ana watched Manny’s fight against Antonio Margarito the night before to inspire her for the fight,” said Reyes. “She was really inspired by Manny’s performance against Margarito. She watched that fight and studied Manny’s movements throughout training camp. As a form of thanking Manny for inspiring her, she wore the ‘Manny Knows’ Nike T-shirt during the press conference right after the fight and the rest of the night.”

Reyes said the Julaton-Alcanter bout was similar to the Pacquiao-Margarito duel in that like Margarito, Alcanter had to bring down her weight for the chance to battle the Filipina. Alcanter, 36, previously fought as a featherweight, superfeatherweight, lightweight and lightwelterweight. The heaviest Alcanter ever weighed was 140 pounds when she knocked out Crystal Bolles in the third round in 2004. Julaton was heaviest at 123 pounds when she outpointed Clara de la Torre in 2008.

At the weigh-in the day before the fight, Julaton tipped the scales at 116 1/2 and Alcanter, 118 1/2. “I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “There had to be something wrong with the scales but that’s not for me to say. The boxing commission has control over the scales and they should know what they’re doing. I just found it strange that just a few minutes before the weigh-in, I checked my weight in my hotel room and I was right on the money. I couldn’t have lost all those pounds in a few minutes.”

The scuttlebutt was the scales were rigged because Alcanter wouldn’t have made the limit. If Julaton was at 122 and the scales showed she was 5 1/2 pounds less, Alcanter must have weighed 124 or two over the limit.

Under boxing rules, if the champion makes the weight and the challenger doesn’t, the champion has the option to go on with the fight or back out. The promoter, however, is obligated to pay the champion’s purse in case of a withdrawal because it’s not his fault that the challenger was overweight. The promoter has the recourse of suing the challenger to recover what was paid to the champion.

If the champion agrees to fight anyway, he will keep the title if he wins and the championship will be declared vacant if he loses.

Roach, who has worked Julaton’s corner in eight of her 11 fights, couldn’t make it to Point Richmond because of a previous commitment. “But I was with Ana up to her last day of training at the Wild Card (gym),” said Roach. “Ana’s a three-time world champion so she knows her stuff.”

Roach said he used to train former IBO women’s lightwelterweight champion Lucia Rijker of The Netherlands. Rijker retired unbeaten in 2004 with a 17-0 record, including 14 KOs. Roach’s best friend Billy Keane used to date Rijker whom experts swore “fought like a man.” Keane was two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa’s business manager late in his career. He also dated actress Meg Ryan.

“Franchesca used to train at the Wild Card so I’m familiar with her style,” said Roach. “She even appeared in my work-out video.”

Reyes said Roach, showing concern for Julaton, phoned her the night of the weigh-in and the morning of the fight to go over strategy one more time and to tell her, “You will beat her...you know what to do.”