Melvin Jerusalem will defend his WBC minimumweight title for the second time in opposition to Yudai Shigeoka on March 30 on the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan.
Jerusalem, 30, dropped Shigeoka twice on the best way to a split-decision victory to win the title in March 2024. The Filipino adopted up doing so with a dominant efficiency to earn a unanimous choice over the unbeaten Mexican Luis Castillo in September.
He’s no stranger to recording an upset on Japanese soil, having beforehand defeated Masataka Taniguchi through second-round stoppage in March 2023 to win the WBO model of the minimumweight title. He later misplaced the WBO belt in his first protection, to the WBA and WBO champion Oscar Collazo.
Japan’s Shigeoka, 27, received the WBC title in simply his eighth skilled combat, when incomes a transparent choice over Panya Pradabsri in October 2023. Pradabsri, of Thailand, has since received the WBC light-flyweight title.
A victory for both might arrange a unification bout with both Pedro Taduran or Collazo.
By the way, the WBC have ordered a rematch between Pradabsri and Carlos Canizales, after the Venezuelan misplaced a highly-contentious choice to him in Bangkok in December.
