SPORTSCLOPEDIA 27: WBO ORDERS MELVIN JERUSALEM VS. OSCAR COLLAZO MANDATORY TITLE FIGHT
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 03 Feb 2023
The World Boxing Organization formally ordered a mandatory minimumweight title fight between Melvin Jerusalem and Oscar Collazo during the weekend. They were given until February 14 to reach an agreement and avoid a purse bid hearing.
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“Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee is hereby ordering the commencement of negotiations for the subject matter bout,” the WBO through Championship Committee Chairman Luis Batista-Salas wrote both camps through an official letter.
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“The parties herein have 15 days upon issuance of this letter to negotiate and reach an agreement accordingly," said the WBO. "If an accord is not reached within the time frame set forth herein, purse bid proceedings will be called per WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.”
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Kameda Promotions will represent Jerusalem (20-2, 12KOs), while Golden Boy Promotions and Promociones Miguel Cotto will jointly handle Collazo (6-0, 4KOs).
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Collazo gained the mandatory challenger status after a fifth-round knockout of Yudel Reyes of Monterrey, Mexico on January 28, 2023 at YouTube Theater, Inglewood, California, U.S.A. This WBO title eliminator happened following Jerusalem's amazing stoppage and dethroning of Masataka Taniguchi via stunning second-round knockout on January 6, 2023 at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, Japan.
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Jerusalem was a voluntary challenger for Taniguchi, since the Filipino agreed to the provisions of the contract set by Kameda Promotions. Jerusalem secured his eighth straight victory thus becoming the only world champion from the Philippines at present.
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Thr 28-year-old Melvin Jerusalem has brought back the glory to Philippine boxing when he fulfilled his vow to seize the title from Japan's Masataka Taniguchi with a stunning second-round knockout. Jerusalem floored Taniguchi with a thundering straight right hand in the second round, as the referee waived the fight at 1:04 of the second stanza before a hostile crowd at Osaka, Japan.
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Jerusalem of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, previously failed when he challenged WBC strawweight champion Wanheng Menayothin on January 25, 2017. Jerusalem was deducted a point in the eighth round for connecting a low blow and Menayothin won by a close unanimous decision. Without the point deduction, the bout would have been decided in a majority draw.
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The 26-year-old Collazo wants to add to Puerto Rico’s only two reigning boxing champions. They are Jonathan González who has held the WBO junior flyweight title since 2021 and Amanda Serrano who is the unified featherweight world champion, having held the WBO title since 2019 and the WBC and IBO titles since 2021.
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Collazo hopes to make history for the boxing crazy island nation. A title win will make the southpaw fighter seize a world title in the fewest number of fights made by a Puerto Rican fighter. He fights for the world championship in just his seventh pro fight, gaining the position as the mandatory challenger for the WBA and WBO in two successive triumphs.
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Collazo also became the WBA top contender with a unanimous decision win over former WBO minimumweight champion Vic Saludar last July 16, 2022 at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. He was waiting the winner of the March 1 eliminator between Thammanoon Niyomtrong vs. Erick Rosa WBA title consolidation match. He then received the notice to fight in a WBO title eliminator.
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Collazo was previously slated to fight fellow Puerto Rican and former WBO champion Wifredo Mendez, who later backed out due to his back injury. The WBO then ordered Collazo to fight Reyes in the title eliminator, stopping the Mexican in the fifth round.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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