World champion Collazo calls out Jerusalem for a unification bout
Melvin Jerusalem (left) and Oscar Collazo (right) during their May 2023 world title bout in Puerto Rico. | Photo from Collazo’s Facebook page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) world minimumweight champion Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo didn’t give the newly-crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) world minimumweight Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem enough time to celebrate.
Collazo immediately called out Jerusalem for a unification bout and a rematch following the latter’s split decision victory to dethrone erstwhile WBC world minimumweight champion Yudai Shigeoka in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday evening, March 31.
In a Facebook post, Collazo congratulated Jerusalem for winning the WBC world title.
READ: Jerusalem ends PHL’s world title drought in boxing, wins WBC minimumweight belt in Japan
Unification bout
He then said that he was ready for a unification bout against Jerusalem whom he dethroned in May 2023 for the WBO world minimumweight title in the United States via a seventh-round stoppage.
“Congrats champ, I’m ready for that unification, you wanted a rematch, let’s get it,” Collazo said.
READ: Melvin Jerusalem vows to end PHL’s world title drought in boxing
The 27-year-old Puerto Rican also tagged his promoter and Puerto Rican boxing legend Miguel Cotto, Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar Dela Hoya, and other boxing outfits on his post.
To recall, Jerusalem lost the WBO world minimumweight title in his first defense in Indio, United States.
Lopsided loss
Jerusalem’s reign as a world champion only lasted for roughly five months after he won the title from Masataka Taniguchi via a sensational second-round technical knockout in Japan.
READ: Amparo falls short vs. Shigeoka in last minute world title bout
The 30-year-old Jerusalem later on revealed that a huge factor for his lopsided loss to Collazo was his failure to fully acclimatize his body in the US.
He explained that he hadn’t slept properly after he arrived in the US a week before fight night which isn’t advisable for a visiting boxer due to the lack of time to adapt to the new climate and different timeline.
Thus, Jerusalem performed poorly in his first title defense which was a complete contrast to his performance last Sunday evening where he downed Shigeoka twice en route to win the WBC world title by split decision.
Jerusalem is yet to respond to Collazo’s post as he and his team are yet to arrive in Manila on Monday, April 1.
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