Melvin Jerusalem loses WBC minimumweight crown to South African rival

Melvin Jerusalem surrendered the WBC minimumweight title after falling to Siyakholwa Kuse via unanimous decision on Sunday morning (Philippine time) at the Emperor’s Palace in South Africa.

One judge scored the bout 115-111 in favor of Kuse, while the other two had it 116-111 and 116-112, respectively, for the hometown fighter.

Jerusalem encountered adversity early after sustaining a cut from an accidental clash of heads in round three. Though the Bukidnon native soldiered through the injury, the wound became a target for Kuse as the bout wore on.

The South African’s strategy paid dividends as it gradually shifted the momentum in his favor during the later rounds.

Still, Jerusalem refused to go quietly. The Filipino champion sparked hope in the 11th round after scoring a knockdown, then came out aggressively in the final frame in a bid to steal the fight. However, it was not enough to overturn the deficit on the scorecards.

Jerusalem had previously defeated Kuse during the Thrilla in Manila 2 event last October, but he was unable to replicate that success this time on enemy soil.

With the loss, “El Gringo” saw his record drop to 25-4, while Kuse improved to 10-3-1.

—JKC, GMA News