MANILA, Philippines – There will be no retreat — and definitely no surrender — for Melvin Jerusalem, one of the only two reigning Filipino world champions, in a bid to retain his belt in front of no less than the boxing-crazed home crowd.
Jerusalem vowed to hold the fort and defend his crown even at the jaws of unbeaten Mexican challenger Luis Castillo’s knockout warning in the World Boxing Council minimumweight title fight to headline Manny Pacquiao Promotions’ Blow-by-Blow this Sunday in Mandaluyong.
“Ito na ‘yung matagal na pagkakataong ating hinintay. Pinaghandaan natin na maging world champion ulit at madepensahan iyong belt natin sa Pilipinas. Itong depensa na ito ay para sa Pilipinas,” declared Jerusalem, joined by trainer Michael Domingo and handler JC Mananquil of Sanman Promotions in the fight’s official press conference yesterday at the Manila Hotel.
“Pinag-aralan namin nang matagal si Luis. Pinanood nang paulit-ulit ang laban niya. Malakas siya, lalo na sa overhand, pero kaya natin.”
His anticipated tough defense against Castillo, from the country’s forever boxing archrival Mexico, will be the first world title fight here in seven years.
But more than that, it’s the first title defense by a Filipino at home, particularly for a WBC belt, since Pacquiao himself retained the WBC flyweight crown against Mexico’s Gabriel Mira at the Araneta Coliseum in 1999.
“This is for the Philippines. Kahit sino pong fighter, susuportahan ng Blow by Blow. Sabi po ni Senator Manny, basta ikaw ay Pilipino, basta ikaw ay boksingero, susuportahan ka. At ito po, may world championship fight na tayo dito sa Pilipinas,” said Blow-by-Blow CEO Marife Barrera.
Blow-by-Blow, backed by San Miguel Corporation’s Petron and will air on One Sports, will have 14 undercards starting at 1 p.m. before the Jerusalem-Castillo main event at 7 p.m. at the Mandaluyong City College.
The 30-year-old Jerusalem (22 wins with 12 knockouts) nabbed the WBC belt last March from Japanese Yudai Shigeoka on the road in Nagoya, Japan via split decision. This time, Castillo is out to flip the script and return the favor on Jerusalem, vowing to bring home the title to Mexico and spoil the Philippine party with a knockout victory.
“I’m ready and confident. This is the first time I’m fighting in the Philippines but I like it. We know that it’s always a battle between Filipinos and Mexicans but this will not be a battle. This will be a war. And I will go for a knockout,” said the 27-year-old Castillo (27-0-1, 13 KO), who has no problems acclimating with the Philippine weather that’s almost similar with Mexico’s.
Castillo, with trainer Eduardo Montiel, actually insisted for the mandatory title fight in Mexico before Pacquiao made it happen for Jerusalem — under Sanman Promotions led by JC Mananquil to defend it at home instead through the iconic Blow-By-Blow.
Meanwhile, also in the Blow-By-Blow card is former world super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas in a crucial comeback against Sukpraserd Ponpitak of Thailand on the heels of a tough sixth-round bantamweight bout defeat against Takuma Inoue in Tokyo.