World Boxing Organization’s second-ranked minimumweight Melvin Jerusalem of the Philippines displayed a fine form in his public workout on Jan. 4 in Osaka before his challenge to champion Masataka Taniguchi of Watanabe Boxing Gym on Jan. 6 at EDION Arena Osaka.

While the 28-year-old Jerusalem was scheduled to arrive in Japan the preceding day, he failed to realize that due to a flight disruption within the Philippines.

Jerusalem showed shadowboxing and mitt-hitting at Osaka’s KWORLD3 Boxing Gym and simply said after the training, ‘’I’m in superb condition. I will do my best and grab the world championship belt.’’

‘’I am happy that I will be the first to have a world title fight in the country this year. I have not problems at all about my weight. My idol is former world minimumweight champion Katsunari Takayama (of Neyagawa Ishida Boxing Club). He has been strong despite the fact that he has a small build. Champion Taniguchi has the right timing when throwing punches as he is a fine boxer. I believe in judges’ decision in Japan. All I have to do is to fight with all my might,’’ he added.

One of the members of Watanabe gym said, ‘’Jerusalem has a small face. Though his shadowboxing was orthodox, he would probably show a rough boxing in the actual fight by throwing right and left hooks.’’
It will be Jerusalem’s second crack at a world title as he unsuccessfully challenged then World Boxing

Council minimumweight champion Chayaphon Moonsri of Thailand in 2017.

Jerusalem has a 19-2 win-loss tally with 11 KOs, while Taniguchi, making his second defense of the title he won from Wilfredo Mendez of Puerto Rico in December 2021, has a record of 16 wins, including 11 KOs, against three defeats.

The Taniguchi-Jerusalem 12-rounder will be co-featured world championship fight as Taniguchi’s stablemate Ginjiro Shigeoka will challenge International Boxing Federation minimumweight champion Daniel Valladares of Mexico for the latter’s title as the chief supporting card at the same venue.