Melvin Jerusalem (left) and Marlon Tapales (right) during their visit to Malacanang Palace last year. | Sanman Boxing photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former world champions Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem and Marlon “Nightmare” Tapales will be feted in the upcoming inaugural Pacquiao-Elorde Awards night on March 25, 2024, at Okada Manila.
The recognition will serve as a historic feat for both former world champions as they will serve as the first “Boxers of the Year” awardees of the first Pacquiao-Elorde Awards Night, which replaces the annual Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Boxing Awards & Banquet.
Former senator Manny Pacquiao has decided to join hands with Elorde Promotions to recognize outstanding boxers in the country.
Leading this year’s list of major awardees are no less than Cebu-based Jerusalem of the ZIP Sanman Boxing and Sanman Boxing’s Tapales.
Both boxers left an indelible mark in the Philippine boxing scene in 2023.
Jerusalem, 29, became the World Boxing Organization (WBO) world minimumweight champion last January 6, 2023, after knocking out erstwhile champion Masataka Taniguchi in Osaka, Japan.
He earned the world title in his second try after faltering in his first world title shot in 2017 against Thai Wanheng Menayothin in the latter’s hometown in Thailand.
Currently, Jerusalem is training hard in Cebu for a possible world title shot middle of this year. He has a record of 21 wins with 12 knockouts, and three defeats.
Jerusalem lost the WBO world title in his first title defense last May in Indio, California against Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico via a seventh-round stoppage.
On the other hand, Tapales (37-4, 19KOs) became the unified WBA super world super bantamweight and IBF world super bantamweight champion last April 2023.
He dethroned erstwhile champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan via split decision in San Antonio, Texas, United States.
Tapales went on to fight Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue last December 26 in Tokyo, Japan in an attempt to become the undisputed super bantamweight world champion.
However, Tapales lost via a 10th-round knockout. Still, Tapales remains a highly-rated world contender despite the loss to Inoue.
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