Melvin eyeing longer reign

From his London suite, Manny Pacquiao watched Melvin Jerusalem conduct his business against mandatory Mexican challenger Luis Castillo during the main event of his pet television show Blow-By-Blow.

That fight was two years in the making.

When he revived Blow-By-Blow in late 2022 in General Santos City, Pacquiao assured Filipino fight fans of his desire to stage a world title under.

The guys in attendance during the launch were Mandaluyong Mayor Ben Abalos and personages who once worked with Blow-By-Blow.

I was in attendance, too, along with a handful of scribes from Manila and could vividly remember how Pacquiao made the promise to hold a world title fight under Blow-By-Blow.

A few days ago, that promise was fulfilled. Backed by a heavyweight sponsor, Blow-By-Blow ramped up its game by doing Jerusalem’s first defense of the World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight crown on home soil.

Jerusalem would floor Castillo with a laser-guided right straight then beat him up the rest of the way en route to a lopsided 12-round decision.

“I am so happy for you,” Pacquiao said after Jerusalem’s victory that was watched by a jampacked crowd.

Now that Blow-By-Blow has proven that it is capable of doing more than just ordinary cards, a bigger event awaits fight fans in 2025.

With no less than Pacquiao behind the show, it certainly looks like more world titles should be in the pipeline.

Aware of the promoters’ efforts, Jerusalem could not help but express his heartfelt thanks to the men and women behind the rousing success of last Sunday’s slugfest at the Mandaluyong City College Gym.

In the meantime, Jerusalem is going to take a short break before easing back into training mode.

It doesn’t look like he will be making the second defense before the year comes to a close.

But Jerusalem is not taking any chances.

“A lot of boxers are after this fight that I am holding,” Jerusalem said while clutching the WBC’s famed green strap.

Judging on his facial expression and the tone of his voice, Jerusalem doesn’t have any plans of giving it away on a silver platter.

That is a mark of a true champion.