Trainer eyes Japan camp for Jerusalem

Michael Domingo, one of the country’s top cornermen, feels it would be beneficial if reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem spends the first three weeks of his training camp in Japan.

Jerusalem is set to make the second defense of the WBC 105-lb crown in late-March at the Aichi Sky Expo — near Nagoya — in a rematch with Yudai Shigeoka.

Domingo, who trains Jerusalem, believes pre-conditioning training for three weeks in Japan is ideal.

“That would be endurance training and after that, he can spend the rest of the training camp in Cebu,” added Domingo, noting that the Queen City has an abundance of fighters suited for sparring.

Though he has yet to kick off training camp proper, Jerusalem is working out regularly.

In fact, he has been updating Domingo of his road work and light training while having a break in his native Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon.

In March last year, Jerusalem floored Shigeoka twice en route to a decision victory in Nagoya to bag the WBC title.

Then in September in Mandaluyong City, Jerusalem faced mandatory challenger Luis Castillo of Mexico.

It appeared at first that the Filipino was going to have a quick appearance when he sent Castillo down in the very first round.

But Castillo managed to escape when the bell sounded ending the round.

He would be on the receiving end of Jerusalem’s hard hits in the remainder and took the long flight back home to Mexico with an aching body and a bruised ego.