Jerwin Ancajas will arrive in Japan ten days before his much-awaited crack at the World Boxing Association bantamweight crown.
Currently deep in training in Las Vegas, Ancajas battles defending champion Takuma Inoue on 15 November at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena in Tokyo.
Inoue, holder of an 18-1-0 win-loss-draw record with four knockouts, will be making the first defense of the 118-lb title he had won last April.
“I will give fans an exciting show,” Inoue said.
Ancajas, who made nine defenses of the International Boxing Federation from 2016 until 2022, packs a 34-3-2 ledger with 23 knockouts.
Other than the faceoff with Inoue, Ancajas said during a video message that he can’t wait to fly to Japan.
“Japan is a beautiful country where I’ve dreamed of visiting since I was a kid. Takuma Inoue is a superb boxer with sharp movement like his brother (Naoya),” he said.
But Inoue feels Ancajas is just being diplomatic.
“Ancajas is a great fighter with power punches… No risk, no gain,” he added.