Former WBC minimumweight crown holder Melvin Jerusalem will take some time off to rest after his grueling 12-round unanimous decision loss to South Africa’s Siyakholwa Kuse a week ago. Only after will El Gringo decide if he’ll pursue a rematch with Kuse or take a different route.
“Magpahinga muna tayo para makapag-isip kung may rematch ba o ano, kung anong plano natin,” Jerusalem said in his Facebook Live the day after the fight.
Melving Jerusalem Now 1-1 Versus Kuse
The fighting pride of Bukidnon lost to Kuse via scores of 116-112, 116-111, and 115-112 in a bout that saw the Filipino fight with a cut on his left eye over the last nine rounds. Jerusalem sustained the cut in the third round due to an accidental clash of heads. Even so, the 32-year-old boxer offered no excuse.
“Ginawa namin lahat. No excuses,” he said.
It turns out Melvin Jerusalem and Kuse butted heads not once, not twice, but three times in the fight. But it was that clash in the third that bothered the Filipino, as Kuse repeatedly jabbed the wound throughout the bout. Again, Jerusalem offered no excuses and considered the situation a challenge.
“First time sa buong buhay ko first time ko na headbutt, tatlo pa. Hindi lang isa. Tatlong headbutt, dito pa sa Africa,” Jerusalem recalled. “Pero okay lang, challenge ito sa akin. Umabot pa rin tayo ng 12 rounds.”
What Are the Options for Melvin Jerusalem?
As Jerusalem takes his time resting, what exactly are the options available to him once he’s ready to step back into the grind?
The most logical—and probably easiest to arrange—is to go for a trilogy with Kuse. This should be relatively simple to do, as there is a rematch clause for Jerusalem in case he loses. But if the Filipino opts to trigger the rematch, he might want to insist on the third fight happening in a neutral venue, given how the first two took place in each other’s home country.
Alternatively, Jerusalem could try to climb the ladder back to contention and face new challenges.
For now, however, Melvin Jerusalem can rest. He deserves as much. Besides, there are bigger battles up ahead.
