Melvin Jerusalem flies to Osaka today armed with the burning desire to give Philippine boxing a shot in the arm.
The Filipino minimumweight will face defending champion Masataka Taniguchi for the World Boxing Organization 105-lb title this Friday at the EDION Arena.
“He’s ready to go,” JC Mananquil, who handles Jerusalem, said yesterday.
“He’s ready to bring the (world) title,” he added.
His crack at the title will be the first for the year, a chance for Jerusalem to put an end to the string of heartbreaking losses sustained by Filipino boxers in 2022.
The shot at Taniguchi’s crown will be Jerusalem’s second stab at a world championship after being denied a win a few years ago in Thailand when he vied for the World Boxing Council’s version.
The Cebu-based Jerusalem parades a 19-2 record with 11 knockouts while Taniguchi, a southpaw, totes a 16-3 card also with 11 knockouts.
