Jerusalem, Andales get title shots
ON March 31, at the International Conference Hall in Nagoya, Japan, two Filipino boxers are booked to contend for world boxing titles.
Former world champion Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem will face World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight (105 lbs) champion Yudai Shigeoka of Japan in a bout set for 12 rounds.
Former world title challenger ArAr Andales will trade punches with International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight king Ginjiro Shigeoka.
Jerusalem and Andales are no strangers to the big stage that is a world title fight.
Jerusalem, 21-3 with 12 knockouts, sported an unbeaten record of 11-0 when he fought for the WBC minimumweight title in January 2017.
Jerusalem fought well but Thai defending WBC champ Wanheng Menayothin still won by unanimous decision.
In January 2023, Jerusalem secured his second world title shot opposite Japan’s Masataka Taniguchi. Jerusalem flattened Taniguchi in the second round with a devastating right shot to the chin to claim the WBO minimumweight crown.
Jerusalem’s title reign was disappointingly short, though.
In May 2023, in his first defense of the WBO crown, Jerusalem was stopped in seven rounds by Puerto Rican Oscar Collazo. Collazo broke down Jerusalem and forced the Filipino to remain on his stool at the end of the seventh stanza.
The upcoming fight with Yudai Shigeoka is a crucial one for Jerusalem.
Melvin was beaten so bad by Collazo that it comes as a surprise he is getting another title shot this early. Jerusalem is ranked No. 6 by the WBC and has fought only once since losing to Collazo.
Yudai Shigeoka, 26, compiled an impressive amateur win-loss record of 82-10 before turning pro in October 2019. Yudai became a world champion in only his eighth paid contest when he outpointed Thai Panya Pradabsri for the WBC minimumweight (or strawweight) championship in October 2023.
Yudai won the fight despite breaking both hands as early as the fifth round.
As he is coming off injuries on both hands, Yudai apparently chose Jerusalem because of loose whispers that the Filipino may have seen better days. Jerusalem, 29, is out to prove the critics wrong.
IBF minimumweight champ Ginjiro Shigeoka, who is booked to defend against Andales, is the younger brother of Yudai Shigeoka.
Ginjiro, 24, was into karate at a young age. At age 10, he shifted his attention to boxing and joined the Honda Fitness Boxing Gym. As an amateur, Ginjiro went 56-1, the only loss coming from his brother Yudai.
Ginjiro turned pro in September 2018 and first fought for the IBF minimumweight in January 2023. He failed to bring home the title after his fight with Daniel Valladares of Mexico was declared a no contest.
In April 2023, Ginjiro battled Filipino Rene Mark Cuarto for the IBF interim minimumweight title and won by knockout in nine rounds.
In October 2023, Ginjiro finally won the regular IBF minimumweight crown when he stopped Valladares in five rounds. The win improved Ginjiro’s record to 10-0 with 8 knockouts.
Andales, 14-2 with 6 knockouts, first fought for the WBA minimumweight title in August 2019 and dropped a controversial technical decision to Thai Thammanoon Niyomtrong after 8 rounds.
Andales returned to action just three months after the Niyomtrong fight and was knocked out in 6 rounds by countryman Joel Lino.
Andales rebounded by winning 4 fights and settling for 3 draws in his next 7 fights. Still, going into the fight with Ginjiro, Andales is only ranked No. 9 by the IBF.
Andales and Jerusalem are both huge underdogs opposite the Shigeoka brothers.
Truth be told, the card in Japan is all about showcasing the Shigeoka brothers. This explains why Andales and Jerusalem were picked by the Shigeoka brothers. The plan is to showcase the Shigeoka brothers and the best way to pull this off is to match them with opponents who appear to be on a downhill trek.
The careers of Jerusalem and Andales both hang in the balance.
Another devastating loss for both fighters might just force them to archive the gloves. A win though will provide a new lease on life in the sport.
The country opened the new year with no reigning world boxing champion. The last champion the country had was Marlon Tapales, who won the IBF-WBA jr. featherweight crowns in April 2023 and lost them in a unification bout with Japan’s Naoya Inoue in December 2023.