Jerusalem, Collazo want to unify belts

The day after Melvin Jerusalem’s clear-cut victory over Yudai Shigeoka, Filipino promoter JC Mananquil was already mapping out the World Boxing Council minimumweight titleholder’s next move.

Jerusalem had just been proclaimed winner in his second defense when Mananquil began rehearsing some lines he plans to deliver should negotiations commence for a unification showdown with Puerto Rican two-belt titlist Oscar Collazo.

Hours before Jerusalem repulsed Shigeoka, Collazo was successful in defending the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization (WHO) straps.

The undefeated Collazo had scored a fifth-round stoppage of Edwin Cano of Mexico in Cancun also on the same day Jerusalem showed his mastery of Shigeoka.

“They (Collazo’s team) want the fight. We want the fight, too,” Mananquil told DAILY TRIBUNE from Nagoya on Monday.

Collazo and Jerusalem are not exactly strangers to each other.

In May 2023, Collazo forced Jerusalem to quit on his stool in Indio, California.

During that time, Jerusalem was the WBO champion and he was forced to hand over the crown to Collazo on a silver platter.

His team cited jet lag and the late arrival in the United States as main reasons for the poor performance.

Now that Jerusalem is back on top and Collazo is heating up, Mananquil insists that a rematch is the most attractive possibility out there.

Collazo holds a 12-0 win-loss record with nine knockouts.

Shortly after his trouble-free demolition of Cano, Collao was vocal about granting Jerusalem a rematch, coming out on social media that he is craving for it.

Mananquil didn’t bat an eyelash and responded rather quick, stressing his desire to get things done with Collazo’s people led by the Oscar De La Hoya-owned Golden Boy Promotions.

“Let’s do it,” Mananquil said.