Jerusalem’s game plan exploited Shigeoka: ‘I saw his weakness’

Melvin Jerusalem proudly spreads the Philippine flag with the WBC world title on his shoulder. | Photo from Sanman Boxing

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Melvin Jerusalem, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight world champion, said he sensed fear in his opponent, Yudai Shigeoka, which paved the way for his dominant unanimous decision victory in their world title rematch on Sunday in Tokoname, Aichi, Japan.

Jerusalem outclassed Shigeoka, successfully defending his world title for the second time. But what made the victory even sweeter was his belief that Shigeoka was already defeated mentally after feeling the sting of his pinpoint punches and aggressiveness.

In an interview with CDN Digital, Jerusalem revealed that once he hurt Shigeoka early on, especially with his sneaky right straights, the Japanese fighter became desperate and hesitant—allowing the Filipino to impose his will throughout the 12-round bout.

READ: Jerusalem dismantles Shigeoka in rematch, retains WBC world title

“Nakita na nako nga nasakitan siya,” Jerusalem said.

(“I saw that he was hurt.”)

“Kung asa ta dapit makaigo, mao ra gyud akong gi balik-balik ug tira niya. Nakuha na nako iyahang style. Naa na siya kahadlok mura ug nadala na niya sa una pa namong dula last year.”

READ: Melvin Jerusalem, Shigeoka face off again in Sunday’s rematch

(“I kept hitting him where I knew I could land. I was able to figured out his style. He carried that fear from our first fight last year.”)

MORE AGGRESSIVE

Jerusalem was visibly aggressive and threw more punches compared to their first encounter nearly a year ago, where he stripped Shigeoka of the same title in Japan.

The 31-year-old Cebu-based fighter, who trains under Michael Domingo with the ZIP Sanman Boxing Team, said their game plan this time was simple—dominate and leave no doubt. Thus, all three judges scored in favor of him by a wide margin.

READ: Melvin Jerusalem in peak form for WBC title defense

“Kaya man nako ma absorb iyahang kumo, mao tong wala ko nagpakita masakitan ko niya. Di gyud mi papildi every round, mosukol,” Jerusalem added.

(“I could already take his punches, so I didn’t show any signs of pain. We didn’t want to give up any rounds—we fought back hard.”)

Jerusalem admitted that his previous split decision win against Shigeoka left some uncertainty. This time, however, he left nothing to chance, ensuring that every punch counted and every round tilted in his favor.

READ: WBC honors Melvin Jerusalem in annual convention

REMATCH

Despite his dominant showing, Jerusalem acknowledged that Shigeoka was tougher in the rematch. Unlike their first encounter, where he floored the Japanese challenger twice, this time he failed to score a knockdown.

Yet, after the dust settled, Jerusalem displayed humility and sportsmanship, penning a heartfelt message on social media, encouraging Shigeoka to keep his head high and expressing confidence that his rival would eventually become a world champion again.

For now, Jerusalem is savoring his victory with his team in Japan. But the champion is expected to return to the Philippines on April 8, ready to bask in the glory of another successful title defense.

Photo caption: Melvin Jerusalem. | Sanman Boxing photo