Melvin Jerusalem targets knockout vs Shigeoka in rematch

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Bukidnon pride Melvin Jerusalem believes his intensive training is enough to offset the hometown advantage of Yudai Shigeoka, the Japanese favored to dethrone the Filipino WBC champion

MANILA, Philippines – When they fought last year, Melvin Jerusalem knocked down Yudai Shigeoka twice and scraped a split decision to snatch the Japanese’s WBC (World Boxing Council) minimumweight belt in Nagoya.

Now that their roles have been reversed, Jerusalem wants to finish off the challenger in their rematch on Sunday, March 30, at the Aichi Sky Dome in Tokoname City.

Jerusalem said he intends to prove that the initial result was no fluke and doesn’t want the judges to decide the outcome.

No wonder the pride of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, trained longer, harder and better than in their first battle. 

Jerusalem believes the four weeks he spent preparing in Nagoya, six weeks in Cebu, and the past week with chief trainer Michael Domingo in Japan are enough to offset the hometown advantage of Shigeoka, who is favored to dethrone him in their 12-round collision.

Betting sites put Shigeoka a -190 favorite and Jerusalem a +150 underdog, indicating that the 28-year-old southpaw has a 62 percent chance of winning against the Filipino’s 32 percent.

The 31-year-old Jerusalem showed his readiness during the official weigh-in on Saturday, March 29, when he checked in a slim 104 pounds against Shigeoka’s exact 105 pounds.

Before he left for Japan, Jerusalem told sportswriters that he knows Shigeoka’s tendencies, strengths and weaknesses and is ready for whatever the Japanese brings in the ring.

Although Jerusalem is going for the kill, he said an overwhelming win would also be satisfying.

Sanman Promotions head JC Manangquil, Jerusalem’s manager, promised his ward a grudge rematch with WBO (World Boxing Organization) and WBA (World Boxing Association) champion Oscar Collazo if he gets past Shigeoka.

The unbeaten Puerto Rican dethroned Jerusalem as WBO minimumweight champion in 2023, leaving the Filipino pining for revenge. – Rappler.com