MELVIN Jerusalem is looking to end the series of world title losses by Filipino fighters in Japan as he vies for the WBC minimumweight crown against reigning champion Yudai Shigeoka on Sunday.
The 30-year-old and his compact entourage led by Sanman Promotions head JC Mananquil and trainer Michael Domingo already arrived in Nagoya, Japan on Wednesday for the 12-round fight at the International Conference Hall.
Tapales, Ancajas lose in Japan
Filipino boxers in particular former champions Marlon Tapales and Jerwin Ancajas had not been fortunate in their Japan foray the last three months.
Tapales lost by 10th-round knockout to undefeated Naoya Inoue in their bout for the undisputed world super-bantamweight championship last December, while Ancajas failed in his bid to win the WBA bantamweight crown following a ninth round KO against champion Takuma Inoue.
Japan is good for Jerusalem
If there’s any consolation for Jerusalem, Japan had been good to him as he previously won the WBO mini-flyweight crown in Osaka last year with a stunning second-round TKO of Masataka Taniguchi.
Jerusalem holds a 21-3 record with 12 KOs, but lost in his first title defense against Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico in a seventh-round stoppage in Indio, California in May of last year.
Shigeoka, 26, meanwhile, had lesser fights at 8-0 record with 5 KOs as he makes the first defense of his crown which he won over Panya Pradabsri of Thailand via a 12-round unanimous decision.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
