2 weeks Ago By Edri K. Aznar
WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem is ready for his first title defense on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, against undefeated Mexican challenger Luis Castillo in the main event of Manny Pacquiao’s Blow-by-Blow show at the Mandaluyong City College Gym in Mandaluyong City. “I’m excited to fight here in the Philippines because it’s always been my dream to defend my world title here.
That’s why I’ll do my best to win this fight,” Jerusalem told SunStar Cebu. The 30-year-old Jerusalem won WBC belt at the expense of Yudai Shigeoka last March 31, 2024, in Japan. Jerusalem shocked Shigeoka, dropping him twice, to win the fight by split decision.
This is Jerusalem’s second reign as a world champion. He first won a world title last year via a second-round stoppage of Masataka Taniguchi for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight strap in Japan. Jerusalem’s reign, however, was short-lived as he lost his belt to Oscar Collazo by a seventh-round stoppage in the US.
Though his focus is on Castillo, Jerusalem’s dream is to unify world titles in the minimumweight division. “Our goal is to unify titles, that’s what I want,” said Jerusalem. “I’m willing to fight anybody but our focus right now is this fight.
” Collazo still holds the WBO belt, Thammanoon Niyomtrong is the World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight king, and fellow Pinoy Pedro Taduran has the International Boxing Federation (IBF) strap around his waist. Castillo should be a tough challenge for Jerusalem. The 27-year-old Sinaloa native faced and defeated former world titlist Mario Rodriguez and two-time world title challenger Abraham Rodriguez.
He also beat Miguel Angel Herrera by unanimous decision in Mexico. Castillo, ranked No. 10 by The Ring Magazine, will be fighting outside of Mexico for the first time in his career.
Jerusalem is 22-3 with 12 knockouts, while Castillo is 21-0-1 with 13 knockouts. In the main supporting bout, former world champion Jerwin Ancajas (34-4-2, 23 KOs) trades leathers with veteran Thai Sukprased Ponpitak (30-19, 20 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Also seeing action in the same event are Jerusalem’s ZIP Sanman teammates Gabriel Santisima and Kiyoto Narukami.
Santisima (5-0-1, 4 KOs) faces off with Jelo Bacalso (6-5-2, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout, while Narukami (3-0, 1 KO), a Japanese based in Cebu, is up against Jaybie Ignacio (3-2, 1 KO). / EKA.
