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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Boxing devider Jerusalem, Amparo challenge Shigeoka brothers for world titles

Jerusalem, Amparo challenge Shigeoka brothers for world titles

Published Mar 30, 2024 12:38 pm

At A Glance

  • The long-awaited resurrection of the country's boxing glory is at stake as Melvin Jerusalem challenges defending champion Yudai Shigeoka in their WBC world minimumweight title showdown at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Easter Sunday, March 31.

The long-awaited resurrection of the country’s boxing glory is at stake as Melvin Jerusalem challenges defending champion Yudai Shigeoka in their WBC world minimumweight title showdown at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan on Easter Sunday, March 31.

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Melvin Jerusalem, right, challenges defending champion Yudai Shigeoka in their WBC world minimumweight title showdown. (Sanman Boxing)

Both fighters made the 105-pound weight limit with the 30-year-old pride of Bukidnon tipping the scales at 104 lbs while Shigeoka weighed a little heavier at 104.9 lbs for the 12-round affair.

Also featured as a co-main event is the IBF world minimumweight title clash between Yudai’s brother and defending champion Ginjiro Shigeoka and Filipino challenger Jake Amparo.

Amparo, who was a late substitute for ArAr Andales, weighed 104.2 lbs while Ginjiro tipped the scales at 104.7 lbs in their own bout scheduled for 12 rounds.

With no Filipino world boxing champion at the moment, Jerusalem and Amparo are expected to muster everything in their power to cut the strings of futility that had hampered Filipino boxers as of late.

Both Marlon Tapales and Jerwin Ancajas lost their title fights against another pair of champion Japanese brothers in Naoya and Takuma Inoue.

Boasting a 21-3 record with 12 knockouts, Jerusalem hopes to repeat history as he aims to pull off another upset in the Land of the Rising Sun when he was able to unseat Japanese champion Masaka Taniguchi via a second round technical knockout win to wrest the WBO belt in the same division last year.

Jerusalem, however, fell prey to the hard punching Oscar Collazo, surrendering the belt right on his first title defense after a seventh round stoppage.

It is now Jerusalem’s second try at winning the WBC title after coming up short against Wanheng Menayothin via unanimous decision in 2017.

The 26-year-old Shigeoka, on the other hand, is undefeated through only eight matches highlighted by five knockouts although he has a wealth of amateur experience under his belt having an 82-10 record with 20 knockouts before turning pro.

The older Shigeoka dethroned Panya Pradabsri with a convincing unanimous decision win to wrest the WBC crown.

Meanwhile, Amparo, a proud son of Tagbilaran City, Bohol took the challenge in place of Andales who withdrew from the fight due to medical reasons. 

Sporting a 14-5-1 record with 3 KOs, the 26-year-old Filipino is up for a daunting task against a knockout artist in Ginjiro who is also spotless through 10 fights with eight stoppages.

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