Melvin Jerusalem (left) and Oscar Collazo (right) pose for the camera after making weight for their world title showdown in Indio, California. | Photo from WBO Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The first title defense of reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) world minimumweight champion, Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem is officially set after he and his opponent, Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico, made weight on Saturday, May 27, (Friday, Pacific time) at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.
The Cebu-based Jerusalem, the banner boxer of ZIP Sanman Boxing Team, weighed in at 104.6 pounds, while his challenger, Collazo, perfectly weighed in at 105lbs for their 12-rounder co-main event bout promoted by Golden Boy Promotions of Oscar Dela Hoya which is slated on Sunday, May 28 (Manila Time).
The world title bout will be the co-main event for the Alexis Rocha-Anthony Young WBO North American Boxing Organization (NABO) welterweight title.
Jerusalem will come as an underdog in tomorrow’s bout despite his experience and impressive record in the pro boxing scene.
Collazo is aiming to be the world’s first fastest boxer to become a world champion.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem wants to stamp his class in the U.S. boxing scene.
The 26-year-old U.S.-based Puerto Rican, who won a gold medal in the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru, has an unbeaten record of six wins with four knockouts.
Despite his young record, Collazo proved that he has what it takes to fight world champion-caliber opponents after outboxing former world champion Vic Saludar in July 2022 via unanimous decision.
He earned the world title shot after knocking out Yudel Reyes in the title eliminator last January in the fifth round.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem is an experienced boxer with 20-2 (win-loss) record with 12 knockouts. He shocked Masataka Taniguchi via a second round TKO to snag the WBO world minimumweight title last January in Osaka, Japan, despite being a heavy underdog.
It was Jerusalem’s second world title shot after falling short in 2017 for the WBC world minimumweight belt against Wanheng Menayothing in Thailand.
Also, Jerusalem is an inch taller than Collazo at 5-foot-2.
However, Collazo has slightly have a reach advantage of 159-centimeter, compared to Jerusalem’s 157cm.
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