Filipino boxer defends IBF title

Ng Kuok Kun (a.k.a. “The Macau Kid”) won again

Filipino junior bantamweight boxer Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas successfully defended his title against Mexican challenger Jose Rodriguez on Sunday night during the 5th CCTV Chinese Lunar New Year Cup – IBF World Championship, hosted at the Cotai Arena at The Venetian Macao.

According to boxing analysts, Ancajas put on an impressive show against seasoned foe Rodriguez, who was forced to exit the fight at the start of the eighth round due to an injury to his arm. The injury was caused by an early series of strikes by Ancajas at the start of the bout.

Ancajas will now retain the title for the second consecutive year after defeating Puerto Rican contender McJoe Arroyo last year with a unanimous decision from the judges.

This latest win boosted Ancajas’ record to 13 successive wins from a total of 26, 17 of which were knockouts. Meanwhile, his opponent arrived at 32 wins and five losses.

“All my sacrifices in training really paid off,” Ancajas said after exiting the ring, according to BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation. “I would like to thank God for this victory, for giving me the strength, both mind and body. I would like to thank as well all my supporters in my training that stood by me throughout training and here in Macau. And, of course, thanks to Boss Manny Pacquiao for giving me the opportunity to fight at this level.”

Ancajas fought under the banner of fellow compatriot Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions. The 25-year-old is off to a promising start with his latest win and first triumphant title defense. His last defeat was in March 2012.

According to event organizers, this is the first time that CCTV has cooperated with the international sporting organization to forge CCTV-5’s Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration television program.

The competition saw a total of 24 fighters compete during two nights of bouts. Hailing from China, France, Japan, Mexico, Romania, the Philippines and Thailand, the fighters competed for a number of golden belts from categories such as World Junior Champion, World Female Flyweight Champion, Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion and China Lightweight Champion. One of the fighters was local Ng Kuok Kun, also known as “The Macau Kid,” who beat Thailand’s Komsan Polsan on points.