Earlier today in Mandaluyong in the Philippines, WBC 105-pound champ Melvin Jerusalem, making the first defense of his belt, dominated an unbeaten challenger in the form of the significantly taller Luis Castillo of Mexico. The local hero, all 5’2” of him, won via commanding scores of 120-107, 120-107, and a marginally closer 118-109. 30-year-old Jerusalem dropped his southpaw challenger with a right hand to the head in the opening round, and he never allowed the 5’6” Castillo to get into the fight.
Now 26-5(12) two-time 105 pound champ Jerusalem of Bukidnon in the Philippines is currently three wins removed from his sole stoppage loss, this his corner retirement defeat to Oscar Collazo in May of last year. Castillo, who was making a big step up in class today and was having his first fight outside of Mexico, falls to 21-1-1(13).
Jerusalem boxed quite brilliantly in today’s fight, and it was amazing Castillo was able to last the distance, considering the amount of punishment he was given. Jerusalem, who had to listen in the lead-up to the fight to Castillo telling him that he would KO him, instead gave his challenger quite a beating. The defending champion, who was having his first world title fight at home, was much the faster man, and he put some speedy combos together against the somewhat plodding Castillo.
“I wanted to knock him out,” Jerusalem said post-fight. “But he was tough, and he would not quit.”
For this, Castillo gets credit, but the difference in levels between the two fighters was starkly evident. In fact, what was anticipated by some to be a good fight, maybe even a great one, was made easy by the champion. Today’s fight was the headline feature on all-time great Manny Pacquiao’s ‘Blow-by-Blow,’ and it was the first world title fight staged in the Philippines since 2016.
On the same card, former bantamweight champ Jerwin Ancajas scored a fifth round DQ win over over-matched foe Sukpraserd Ponpitak. Ancajas, who was stopped by Takuma Inoue in February, improved to 35-4-2(23). Ponpitak, who was thrown out for throwing Ancajas to the mat in a fit of frustration, falls to 30-20(20).
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