Meet Melvin “El Gringo” Jerusalem: The main man of Thrilla in Manila 2

When Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier finished the last fight of their trilogy in Manila, it was clear that they made Boxing history. Ali, who was already an international star, turned into a larger-than-life athlete, while Smoking Joe became the epitome of boxing’s heart and soul. Thrilla in Manila’s lasting effects transcended the sport and became a catalyst for a nation’s passion for boxing that is still alive and well today.

On the event’s 50th anniversary on Oct. 29, Filipino boxers will take center stage as they celebrate the legacy of Ali and Frazier’s fight. At the helm will be Filipino boxer Melvin Jerusalem, defending his World Boxing Council (WBC) Minimumweight crown against Japan’s Siyakholwa Kuse. The fight will serve as the pinnacle of the Philippines’ boxing heritage, stemming from the 1975 Fight of the Year.

✅️CONFIRMED. Melvin Jerusalem will defend the WBC Minimumweight Title against Siyakholwa Kuse on October 29th in Manila, Philippines

The card will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Thrilla in Manila. pic.twitter.com/oiVpIIvNyz

— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) August 29, 2025

Jerusalem, 31, has been fighting through the lower-division ranks since 2014. After amassing a flawless record of 11-0 with seven stoppages, the Filipino prospect challenged Chayaphon Moonsri for his WBC Minimumweight crown but suffered defeat for the first time via a close unanimous decision after he was deducted a point in the eighth round, after continuous low blows.

In his next fight, Jerusalem failed to bounce back after another close decision loss, this time against fellow Filipino Joey Canoy. He was knocked down for the first time in his career and was again deducted a point after a low blow. From then on, Jerusalem regained himself and ignited an 8-fight win streak, where he captured the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) Minimum crown against another Filipino boxer, Toto Landero.

The time came as Jerusalem would challenge for the world title again, fighting Masataka Taniguchi in Japan for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Minimumweight title. This time, he would be successful, battering the Japanese into a stoppage in the second round.

His first defense, however, would be his last as he fell against the current and undefeated WBO Minimumweight king Oscar Collazo after a seventh-round corner stoppage. A dominant bounce-back victory against Francis Diaz in General Santos would provide him another chance at a world title. 

Fighting again for the WBC Minimumweight crown, Jerusalem would clinch a split decision victory against Yudai Shigeoka to capture the second world title of his career. Since then, the Bukidnon fighter regained his dominant ways with a landslide victory against Jose Castillo. El Gringo would fight Shigeoka again, but left no doubts in the rematch, en route to a dominant decision win.

🚨JERUSALEM DEFEATS YUDAI SHIGEOKA TO DEFEND TITLE

Melvin Jerusalem successfully defends his WBC Minimumweight Title for a 2nd time as he scores a 119-109, 118-110, 116-112 UD win over Yudai Shigeoka pic.twitter.com/fckmjx0R7Y

— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) March 30, 2025

He is now only one of the remaining Filipino world champions in boxing and will try to ignite another Philippine revolution as he faces Kuse on a historic night. With rumors of a Collazo rematch to determine the undisputed Minimumweight king, Thrilla 2 can be a platform for Jerusalem to make the same kind of history Ali and Frazier made in 1975.

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