World boxing champion Melvin Jerusalem celebrated his 30th birthday on Saturday without fanfare.
Instead of taking the day off, Jerusalem woke up early and still reported for training.
Instead of the gym, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight titleholder went to the swimming pool at the Sundance Residences in Cebu City for a round of exercises meant to boost his endurance.
Waiting for him there was his chief trainer Michael Domingo, who raved about his fighter’s focus and desire to get better.
Jerusalem has just returned to the country after spending 19 days in Nagoya in preparation for the second defense of the WBC 105-lb crown in a rematch with Yudai Shigeoka of Japan on 30 March.
“What’s important is focus,” Domingo said.
Even if it was his special day, Jerusalem opted to work out as he feels that skipping a day of training could backfire when he enters the ring at the Aichi Sky Expo in the city of Tokomane next month.
Jerusalem, whose last fight was a mandatory defense last September — a lopsided 12-round decision over Mexican Luis Castillo — later attended church services.
But the break is temporary as Domingo expects the Bukidnon-born fighter to show up in the gym on Monday.