Jerusalem Out to Break Latino, First Defense Jinx
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 19 Sep 2024
Melvin Jerusalem is out to break the Latino jinx as he defends his WBC minimumweight crown against Mexican top ranking challenger Luis Castillo in the main event of Manny Pacquiao's "Blow by Blow" weekly boxing event at the Mandaluyong City College in Mandaluyong City this Sunday night.
Himself a victim of the Latino jinx in losing his erstwhile WBO minimumweight belt last year to Oscar Collazo in Puerto Rico, Jerusalem is looking to reverse the trend this time by taking full advantage of defending his crown for a change in his country and before a supporting Filipino audience.
Upon arrival, Castillo fired the first shot and tried to get to Jerusalem's nerves by saying that Melvin has "to enjoy his remaining days as champion" in a thinly veiled threat. But Melvin just shrugged it off, preferring his fists to do the talking for him come fight night.
Melvin Jerusalem (top photo) and Luis Castillo during a public workout at the Elite Boxing and Muay Thai Gym at BGC in Taguig City Wednesday.
Castillo is undefeated with a record of 21 wins, 13 by KOs against a single draw. He is also younger by three years at 27 and taller by three inches at 5'5" to the 30 years old 5'2" Jerusalem who totes a record of 22 wins, 3 losses, including 12 wins by KOs.
But Castillo's resume is only good on paper as he will be meeting his first non-Mexican foe in his first fight outside of Mexico. His physical advantage will also remain on paper if he will not have the style and capability to at least stay competitive with a smart and tested ring warrior as Jerusalem.
And though it looks like they have as many fights, Jerusalem is the more experienced fighter, having fought in Thailand, Puerto Rico and Japan. The second time he fought in Japan, he wrested the WBA crown from the then undefeated and highly regarded Yudai Shigeoka. In his first fight in Japan, Melvin won the WBO title by second round knockout of Masataka Taniguchi.
Filipino fighters have won world titles in the minimumweights at least half a dozen times in the last six years but four times in that period, they dropped their belts to Latino challengers.
Vic Saludar, like Melvin, reigned two times as world champion, first with the WBO in 2018 and then with the WBA in 2020, and both times he lost his belt to Latinos, namely Wilfredo Mendez in Puerto Rico and Erick Rosas in the Dominican Republic.
Pedro Taduran became IBF world titlist in 2019 and escaped with a technical draw versus Daniel Valladares in Mexico. But his successor countryman Rene Mark Cuarto was not as lucky, losing the belt to the same Valladares by split decision in 2022.
As mentioned, Jerusalem previously also reigned as WBO champion but lost his crown to Collazo in his first defense in Puerto Rico in May of last year.
Jerusalem is also looking to end the jinx of Filipino champions losing their belts in their first defense as what befell Saludar in his second reign with the WBA, Taduran and Cuarto (IBF) and his own self (WBO).
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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