GAB officials join Melvin Jerusalem (sixth from left) during his courtesy visit there earlier this week. | Photo from GAB
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) gave a fitting recognition to the lone Filipino boxing world champion and the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) world minimumweight champion Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem by naming him its “Boxer of the Month” for March.
Jerusalem, the Cebu-based world champion who fights under ZIP Sanman Boxing Team paid a courtesy call at the GAB office on Thursday, April 25, where he was formally recognized.
READ MORE:
Jerusalem ends PHL’s world title drought in boxing, wins WBC minimumweight belt in Japan
World champion Collazo calls out Jerusalem for a unification bout
Ryan Garcia knocks down Devin Haney thrice, wins by majority decision
No less than GAB chairman Richard Clarin and other top officials of this agency welcomed Jerusalem and his stablemate Kevin Jake Cataraja who is also the top contender in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight division.
The 30-year-old Jerusalem, a native of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon dethroned erstwhile WBC world minimumweight champion Yudai Shigeoka via split decision in Nagoya, Japan last March 31.
Jerusalem impressively knocked down Shigeoka three times in their fight, ending the Philippines’ long world title drought in boxing.
He has a record of 22 wins with 12 knockouts and three losses. The WBC world title is Jerusalem’s second world title.
He first won his world title in 2023 when he stripped Masataka Taniguchi of the latter’s WBO world minimumweight title via a sensational second-round technical knockout.
Besides Jerusalem, GAB also recognized PMI Bohol Boxing Stable’s reigning WBO Oriental super featherweight champion Virgel “Valiente” Vitor and WBC Asian Continental bantamweight champion Noli James Maquilan as honorable mentions for its monthly recognition.