Melvin’s foe arrives tonight
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 14 Sep 2024
Melvin Jerusalem.
Unbeaten challenger Luis Castillo arrives from Mexico via Narita tonight and is expected to go all-out to dethrone WBC minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem who’s making his first defense in the main event of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao’s “Blow By Blow” series at the Mandaluyong City College gym on Sept. 22.
Castillo, 27, is flying in with trainer Eduardo Montiel, Adriana Penuelas and boxer Angel Francisco Sandoval who takes on Marsolo Pandian in a six-rounder on the Mandaluyong undercard. Montiel’s brother Fernando is a former world flyweight, superflyweight and bantamweight champion. The team will be billeted at the Richmonde Hotel Ortigas in Pasig.
Jerusalem, 30, is coming to Manila with trainer Michael Domingo from Cebu tomorrow. He trained for Castillo at the Zip Gym in Cebu, working with sparmates Mark Vicelles, Ramel Macado, Richardo (Bado) Laspona, Sugarey Leonard Pores and Kiyoto Narukami. A former WBO minimumweight titlist, Jerusalem wrested the WBC crown from Yudai Shigeoka via a split 12-round decision in Nagoya last March.
Pacquiao revived “Blow by Blow,” the TV series that launched his boxing career, in November 2022 after a six-year hiatus. Since its revival, “Blow By Blow” has rolled out 18 cards in venues all over the country, including General Santos City, Pasi (Iloilo), Cantilan (Surigao del Sur), Narvacan (Ilocos Sur), Imus (Cavite) and around Metro Manila. Pacquiao said it’s his way to give back to the sport and lay out a platform to discover the next Filipino world champions.
Castillo, nicknamed Flechita (small arrow), is a southpaw fighting for his first title in his first bout outside of Mexico with a 21-0-1 record, including 13 KOs. The WBC No. 1 contender has a 3 1/2 inch height and four-inch reach advantage over Jerusalem who totes a 22-3 record, with 12 KOs.
Domingo said he has studied Castillo’s style through videos. “Style niya ‘di naman fighter at ‘di masyadong stylist, tama lang,” he said. “Pag may chance, why not patulugin natin?” Promoter JC Manangquil, who handles Jerusalem's affairs with managers Nobuyuki Matsuura and wife Mhavic, said the fight will be slam-bang. “Melvin had a good camp with tall southpaws like Castillo,” he said. “Castillo can box, brawl and will give a tough fight so fans should be excited.” Mandaluyong Mayor Ben Abalos, who celebrates his 90th birthday on the eve of the bout, is hosting the event.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Japanese Boxer Jin Sasaki Suffers Memory Loss Following Brutal Knockout in WBO Title Fight
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Mon, 23 Jun 2025Toshihiko Era Becomes WBF Asia Champion at Age 50
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 23 Jun 2025Ador Torres, Renato Cha, Lemuel De Barbo and Ivan Ognayon Score KO Wins in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 23 Jun 20252025 USA Boxing Junior Olympics and Summer Festival Concludes with Junior, Youth and Elite Championships
Mon, 23 Jun 2025Second Stage of the WBC Boxing Grand Prix Concludes with Great Success: Heavyweight and Featherweight
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 22 Jun 2025Miel Ticket: Vito Mielnicki Jr. Shuts Out Kamil Gardzielik
Sun, 22 Jun 2025WBC Grand Prix super lightweight results from Riyadh
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 22 Jun 2025Francisco Rodriguez Jr. Stuns Galal Yafai in Birmingham, Secures Interim WBC Flyweight Title
By Dong Secuya, Sun, 22 Jun 2025Jesse 'The Little Giant' Espinas Crowned WBC Asia Super Flyweight Champion in Exciting Knockout Victory in China
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 22 Jun 2025Bantam and Intermediate Champions Crowned on Day Five of USA Boxing Junior Olympics and Summer Festival
Sun, 22 Jun 2025Filipinos De Barbo, Ognayon, Cha and Torres in Action in Brico Santig’s Show in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Sat, 21 Jun 2025‘LA FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS 2’: DAVID STEVENS DEFEATS PETR KHAMUKOV BY 10-ROUND UNANIMOUS DECISION
Sat, 21 Jun 2025Era and Nantapech Ready to Clash for WBF Asia in Thailand; Filipinos in the Undercard
By Carlos Costa, Sat, 21 Jun 2025Team USA Youth High Performance Steamrolls into Junior Olympics and Summer Festival Semis
Sat, 21 Jun 2025Weigh-In Results: Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Kamil Gardzielik
Sat, 21 Jun 2025