Jerusalem makes mandatory defense vs Mexican

Jerusalem makes mandatory defense vs Mexican | Daily Tribune

Melvin Jerusalem’s first defense of the World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight crown won’t be a gimme.

In fact, Jerusalem will be up against a livewire foe in the undefeated Mexican Luis Castillo, who will be parading a 22-0-1 win-loss-draw with 13 knockouts and the status as mandatory challenger to the throne in their 22 September showdown at the Mandaluyong City College Gymnasium.

Coming off a hard-earned split decision victory over Yudai Shigeoka last March in Nagoya to bag the WBC 105-lb strap, Jerusalem should have his hands full against Castillo, who comes from the boxing hotbed of Los Mochis in Sinaloa state.

But Jerusalem, who packs a 22-3-0 with 12 knockouts, will have the support of the hometown crowd as he bids to take the spotlight in the slugfest that is being staged by Manny Pacquiao Presents Blow-By-Blow.

Pacquiao is throwing his all-out support to the event as part of the weekly television program’s commitment to rally behind the Filipino boxer.

“This is a fulfillment of our plan when we revived Blow-By-Blow almost two years ago, seeing a Filipino figure in a world title fight right in front of his countrymen,” said Pacquiao, who was Blow-By-Blow’s top attraction during the mid-1990s when Mandaluyong City served as its home base.

“I am also grateful that the City of Mandaluyong, the city where I fought countless fights that made me a household name in the 1990s, has offered its venue to host the WBC championship bout and the undercard fights,” added Pacquiao, who is being backed in the promotion by Petron and the City of Mandaluyong.

Jerusalem, who fights out of ZIP Sanman, had won the WBC plum last March by beating Yudai Shigeoka on a split verdict in Nagoya.

Toting a 22-3-0 win-loss-draw record with 12 knockouts, Jerusalem is older than Castillo at 30 years old.

A native of Los Mochis in Sinaloa, the birthplace of Julio Cesar Chavez, Mexico’s greatest fighter of all time, Castillo sports an unbeaten 22-0-1 card with 13 knockouts.

The southpaw Castillo is coming off 15 straight wins, including nine within the distance, but will be fighting outside his country for the first time.