By Marcus Richardson: Promoter Tom Loeffler reportedly is saying a unification fight between WBA super flyweight champion Kal Yafai and IBF champion Jerwin Ancajas is possible for the SuperFly2 card in February.
This would be a huge unification fight with big time ramifications for the 115 lb. division if the Ancajas (28-1-1, 19 KOs) vs. Yafai (23-0, 14 KOs) takes place. Yafai, 28, has been chomping at the bit to get a significant fight. His career hasn’t really taken off yet due to his promoter Eddie Hearn carefully guiding him. Yafai is bearing 30 now. If he’s not ready at his age, then he’ll never be.
This would be a big step up fight for the 2008 Olympian Yafai if he were to take on Ancajas. As good as Yafai has looked since turning pro in 2012, he might not be ready for this kind of a fight. Ancajas is such a hard puncher. Ancajas doesn’t need to be perfect for him to be a real threat to Yafai.
Yafai is coming off of a less than impressive 12 round unanimous decision win over Sho Ishida on October 28 last month. Yafai got the win, but he looked vulnerable at times when Ishida was hitting him with shots in the final 4 rounds. Yafai faded during the championship rounds.
Some boxing fans compare the Filipino Ancajas as a younger version of Manny Pacquiao, but without the blazing hand speed that he was known for in the early part of his career. What Ancajas lacks in speed, he makes up for with his punching power. Ancajas hits hard and he hits with power from different punching angles. Ancajas can punch with power from the outside and the inside. He’s like former world champion Kostya Tszyu in that respect. Ancajas’s heavy hands and versatility would force Yafai to box for 12 rounds. It would be risky for Yafai to stand and slug with Ancajas. Yafai’s promoter Eddie Hearn wouldn’t make the fight against Ancajas if he didn’t believe his fighter could win.
Ancajas, 25, looked great recently in stopping unbeaten contender Jamie Conlan (19-1, 11 KO)s) in the 6th round last weekend on the Carl Frampton vs. Horacio Garcia card on November 18 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ancajas was dropping Conlan over and over with body shots. The power that Ancajas showed in the fight was formidable. Each time he would land something to the midsection of Conlan, he would have him hurt and bending over.
Loeffler is looking to load up the SuperFly2 card with some of the best fighters in the super flyweight division. Loeffler has plans in having WBC champion Sriskaket So Rungvisai defends against mandatory Juan Francisco Estrada, Carlos Cuadras and WBO champion Naoyo Inoue. With Inoue, he’ll need to win his December 30th fight before he can commit fully to taking part in SuperFly2.