JERUSALEM TKO's TANIGUCHI IN 2, BECOMES PH NEW WORLD CHAMPION
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 06 Jan 2023
Melvin 'Gringo' Jerusalem made an auspicious start for Philippine boxing for 2023 when he stopped Masataka Taniguchi of Japan in the second round at the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan Friday night, January 6, to become the country's new world champion. Jerusalem wrested Taniguchi's WBO minimumweight crown.
Jerusalem who hails from Bukidnon in Mindanao, perfectly timed a right straight to the middle that squarely landed on Taniguchi's jaw sending the Japanese to the canvas at the 1 minute mark of the second round. Taniguchi immediately stood up to beat the count but his legs were no longer there to support him, he staggered, and went down again. He tried to stand up again but veteran Puerto Rican referee Roberto Ramirez Jnr waved off the contest after seeing that Taniguchi was unfit to continue as Jerusalem jumped up and down in the neutral corner realizing that he has just become The New....
After the Philippines lost all of its six world champions last year, Jerusalem has started the year with a big bang, probably ushering in other Filipino fighters to bring back the country's glory in the sport when they will fight for a world championship this year.
Jerusalem's victory is Sanman Boxing Gym's second world champion after Dave Apolinario captured the IBO flyweight title last July from South Africa's Gideon Buthelezi. Jerusalem, who started as a pro under the defunct ALA Gym of Cebu, previously fought for a world title but lost to Thailand's long time WBC champion Wanheng Meenayothin in 2017.
Tanuguchi won the WBO belt from Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Mendez in December, 2021. Mendez previously grabbed the belt from Vic Saludar of the Philippines in 2019. Taniguchi defended the belt once against compatriot Kai Ishizawa last April before succumbing to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem now improves his record to 20 wins with two loses. He stopped 12 of his opponents inside the distance.
It was not a good night for Japan and the Japanese fans in the famed Edion Arena in Osaka as in the co-main event, highly touted Japanese amateur standout Ginjero Shigeoka failed to wrest Daniel Valladares's IBF 105 belt after the fight ended in a no-contest in the third round and in a bizarre fashion quite similar to the Casimero vs Akaho fight in South Korea last December.
Fast southpaw Shigeoka appeared to have Valladares's number after he dominated the Mexican in the first two rounds but after an accidental headbutt happened in the third round, Valladares complained too much to Referee Chris Flores that he could not continue which the US referee acceded. The totally frustrated Shigeoka cried after realizing that the championship belt has slipped from his fingers.
Valladares who won the IBF belt from Filipino Rene Cuarto last July, will head back home with his belt intact but with the inconclusive result, a rematch probably is in order.
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