Overconfidence kills

World champion Melvin Jerusalem doesn’t believe in taking an opponent for granted.

In fact, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) strawweight titleholder insists his South African rival Siyakholwa Kuse will bring his A-Game when he makes the third defense of the crown on 29 October at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jerusalem’s duel with the 22-year-old from Eastern Cape will headline a 13-fight card that will highlight the 50th anniversary of the Thrilla in Manila.

“I am preparing hard for this title defense because it’s dangerous to take somebody for granted,” Jerusalem told DAILY TRIBUNE from his training base in Nagoya where he’s been almost the last four weeks.

“Regardless who is it going to be in the corner, you got to train hard because overconfidence can work against you,” said Jerusalem, who beat Yudai Shigeoka in his last defense last April.

“The guys who fight for the world title train hard and are out to win.”

Kuse, who holds a 9-2-1 win-loss-draw card with four knockouts, is one opponent who can rise to the occasion.

“He’s got an amateur-style and this is the reason why I had to recruit fighters who resemble Kuse,” added Jerusalem, who hails from Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon.

Parading a 24-4-0 slate with 12 knockouts, Jerusalem is using this upcoming bout as a buildup to a proposed unification fight down the road.

Meanwhile, preparations for the grand celebrations are expected to reach high gear in the coming weeks with Sean Gibbons working closely with Marife Barrera and Len Tomas of Blow By Blow and Liza Elorde.

A bevy of Philippine boxing’s biggest names, including Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial and top super-bantamweights Marlon Tapales and Carl Jammes Martin, as well as undefeated middleweight Weljon Mindoro are seeing action.

Their fights will be watched by a galaxy of stars, including not just Manny Pacquiao, but bigwigs from the United States led by Bob Arum.

Pacquiao is presiding over this mega project to allow Filipino fight fans to watch world championship boxing for free.

The big guns of the television show Blow By Blow are also participating in the event that will be graced by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos.