AFTER finally setting foot inside a boxing ring following a 16-month layoff, one-time world title challenger Melvin Jerusalem is ready for another world title shot.
Jerusalem didn’t show any signs of ring rust and disposed of Jayson Francisco in two rounds in Sanman Promotions and ZIP’s “Vengeance” show on Dec. 17 at the Sanman Gym in General Santos City.
“They told me that I’ll be fighting for a world championship soon,” an ecstatic Jerusalem told SunStar Cebu.
After the closure of ALA Promotions, Jerusalem signed with Sanman Promotions as his new promoter and ZIP as his new manager. Fellow former ALA boys Jeo Santisima, Esneth Domingo and KJ Cataraja also inked a partnership with Sanman Promotions and ZIP.
“For me, I’ll fight anyone they place in front of me. I’ll fight for any belt,” he said.
The 26-year-old Jerusalem is currently rated No. 2 in the World Boxing Council (WBC), No. 4 in the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and No. 6 in the World Boxing Council (WBC).
Panya Pradabsri is the current WBC minimumweight champion after recently dethroning long-time titleholder Wanheng Menayothin by unanimous decision last November.
On the other hand, fellow Filipino Pedro Taduran is the IBF king, while Wilfredo Mendez holds the WBO strap.
Jerusalem said he’ll wait for the plans of his promoter. But if given the chance to choose, he would pick Pradabsri.
“I want to fight the WBC champion right now,” said Jerusalem, who fought but lost to Menayothin for the WBC minimumweight belt back in 2017.
Jerusalem will most likely have to wait if he wants to fight Pradabsri because the latter will most likely have a rematch with Menayothin.
If Jerusalem opts for the IBF, he’ll probably face fellow Filipino Rene Cuarto in a title eliminator for the mandatory spot to face the champion Taduran, another Filipino.