Even though he’s going to have the benefit of a home advantage, Filipino boxer Melvin ‘El Gringo’ Jerusalem has refused to look over South African opponent Siyakholwa Kuse whom he meets at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Manila, Philippines, on Wednesday.
With a bout against unbeaten Puerto Rican southpaw Oscar ‘El Pupilo’ Collazo, who is a unified World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) strawweight champion, more appealing, Jerusalem has made it clear that he’s now fully focused on the Kuse fight.
The 31-year-old Jerusalem faces the former South African minimumweight champion in a third defence of his World Boxing Council (WBC) strawweight title.
“That’s not what I’m focused on. One fight at a time,” Jerusalem, a former WBO strawweight titlist, told the Daily Tribune in the Philippines.
Talking about the upcoming fight against Kuse, Jerusalem said: “It’s extremely dangerous to take someone for granted as over confidence can work against you. The guys who fight for world titles train hard and are out to win.”
Jerusalem has been a WBC champion since he dethroned Japanese Yudai Shigeoka in March last year. He defended his crown against Mexican Luis Castillo in September last year and Shigeoka seven months ago.
Meanwhile, Kuse will be out to become the first strawweight boxer from the African continent to rule the WBC. Only Asian, Central and South American strawweight boxers have ever ruled the WBC. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
