Boxing: Jerusalem more than ready in rematch with Shigeoka

Melvin Jerusalem (middle) with his stablemates from ZIP Sanman Boxing on their way to the airport to travel to Japan. | Photo from Jerusalem’s Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — With the magnitude of what is at stake, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem has left no stone unturned in preparing for his highly anticipated rematch against former titleholder Yudai Shigeoka on March 30 in Tokoname, Japan.

Jerusalem (23-3, 12 KOs) and his team from Zip Sanman Boxing flew to Japan 10 days before fight night to complete the final stretch of training and give him ample time to acclimatize.

READ:

Jerusalem clears preliminary WBC weigh-in for Shigeoka rematch

Melvin Jerusalem banking on lessons from failed title defense

Ex-world champion Rene Mark Cuarto headlines Blow-By-Blow

In an interview with CDN Digital, Jerusalem revealed that he went beyond the usual intensity of his training regimen to ensure he’s more than ready for Shigeoka (9-1, 5 KOs), who is expected to pull out all the stops in their rematch.

“Sa akong training, sakto na gyud akong nabuhat, ug mas gipalabwan pa gyud nako kung unsa gi-training namo sauna sa una namong pagsangka,” said the Cebu-based world champion.

(I’ve done everything in training, and I pushed even harder than what we did for our first fight.)

Jerusalem noted that their first encounter was more challenging because they were unfamiliar with each other’s styles, entering the ring with no clear understanding of what to expect.

“Mas lisud to ang una namong sangka kay wala pami nag-abot sa ibabaw sa ring. Ang amo lang karon, need gyud nga condition, labaw nako sa umaabot nga dula,” he said.

(The first fight was tougher because we had never faced each other before. This time, conditioning is key, especially on my end.)

Now, with a better grasp of Shigeoka’s style, tendencies, and techniques, Jerusalem feels more prepared for what’s ahead.

“Karong 100% na gyud ko andam aning dulaa, ug dugay na namo ni gipangandaman ni coach Mike (Domingo). Ready nako sa among rematch.”

(I’m 100% ready for this fight. Coach Mike [Domingo] and I have been preparing for a long time, and I’m ready for our rematch.)

Despite his confidence, Jerusalem remains cautious, knowing that Shigeoka has also stepped up his preparations for this crucial bout.

“Dili gihapon ta mo-kumpyansa kay nangandam sad gyud to siya. Mao, amping gihapon ta pirmi, maniid, ug maghulat sa saktong timing,” he added.

(We can’t be complacent because he’s prepared just as hard. We need to stay alert, observe carefully, and wait for the right timing.)

Jerusalem currently holds the distinction of being one of only two Filipino boxing world champions, alongside Pedro Taduran, who reigns as the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion.

With everything on the line, Jerusalem is ready to go to war once again — determined to prove that his ascend to becoming a world champion was no fluke.