By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
After six long years, Filipino boxing superstar Jerwin Ancajas’ reign as the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight champion has finally come to an end.
Ancajas couldn’t withstand the firepower of the undefeated Argentinian challenger Fernando Martinez and swept all the scorecards via a unanimous decision victory, 117-111, 118-111, 118-111.
Coming in as the heavy underdog against the tested and proven championship pedigree of Ancajas, Martinez was unfazed with the challenge and immediately showed confidence with his quick powerbombs that began to connect early.
Despite the lack of set-ups and jab punches, Martinez was still able to dominate the punch counter after landing 421 power shots on his way to a career-defining milestone.
Aside from the huge upset, Martinez broke Ancajas’ outstanding 22 consecutive winning streak while also snapping his title defense streak at nine.
Ancajas looked flat during the clash and couldn’t anticipate the quick power punches that Martinez was landing in the fight.
The Argentinian rising star displayed a sharp and efficient boxing performance with several perfectly-landed 1-2-3 combinations all hitting Ancajas’ head in the middle rounds.
However, the job is still not yet done for Ancajas who has the right to activate a rematch clause under the signed contract against Martinez.
On the other hand, Martinez improved to 14 wins with no losses and became the second boxer to defeat Ancajas in his whole professional career.
