World title report card
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 02 Jan 2024
Marlon Tapales (L) and Melvin Jerusalem (R).
It was a lean year for Philippine boxing in world title matches in 2023 as only eight bouts were held with six Filipino fighters compiling two wins. There are 26 Filipinos rated in the top 10 of WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF at the moment and former IBF superflyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas is first in line for a crack at a world crown. Ancajas takes on WBA bantamweight king Takuma Inoue in a 12-round championship contest in Tokyo on Feb. 24.
WBC No. 1 bantamweight Vincent Astrolabio is also in the queue for a title shot and will take on the winner of the Feb. 24 duel between WBC ruler Alejandro Santiago and Junto Nakatani. Former IBF minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran is another challenger-in-waiting. Last Thursday, he pounded out a unanimous 12-round decision over Jake Amparo in Tagbilaran to earn a mandatory bid for the IBF crown held by Ginjiro Shigeoka. WBO No. 1 bantamweight Reymart Gaballo is due for a title crack and should face Australia’s Jason Moloney before the year closes.
Marlon Tapales and Melvin Jerusalem were the only Filipinos who won in world title fights last year. Tapales upset 5-1 favorite Murodjon Akhmadaliev via a split decision to wrest the WBA and IBF superbantamweight belts in San Antonio last April. Jerusalem stopped Masataki Taniguchi in the second round to claim the WBO minimumweight crown in Osaka last January. However, it was a short-lived reign for both as they were dethroned in their first defense.
Tapales staked his WBA and IBF straps against WBC/WBO champion Naoya Inoue in an ultimate unification showdown in Tokyo last Tuesday and lost by a 10th round knockout. Jerusalem yielded his title to Oscar Collazo on a seventh round retirement in Indio, California, last May. In his first defense, Collazo halted Garen Diagan in the sixth round in Puerto Rico last August.
The Filipinos who lost in world title fights last year were Tapales, Jerusalem, Diagan, Jade Bornea, Nonito Donaire and Astrolabio. Bornea bowed to Argentina’s Fernando Martinez in an IBF superflyweight title bout on an 11th round TKO in Minneapolis last June. Martinez won his title from Ancajas and beat him again in a rematch. Donaire attempted to regain the WBC bantamweight crown in Las Vegas last July but was outpointed by Santiago. Astrolabio bowed to Moloney on a majority 12-round verdict for the vacant WBO bantamweight strap in Stockton last May.
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