Bring Me My Bow of Burning Gold: #ShigeokaJerusalem

By James Blears

Undefeated Yudai Shigeoka 8-0, 5KO’s of Japan, defends his WBC straw weight title for the first time, against Filipino Melvin “Gringo” Jersusalem 24-3, 12 KO’s, on the last day of March, at the International Conference Hall in Nayoya, Japan.

This is a voluntary defense and it’s all in the family, because Yudai’s younger brother Ginjiro 24, also a southpaw and also undefeated, with a record of 10-0, 8KO’s, defends his title against ArAr Andales 14–3, 6KO’s, on the same bill on the very same night.

Some boxing veterans, decry the modern era fast track route leading to an Absolute World Title Belt, arguing that the precocious Champ, has hardly whetted his whistle, and is still really a novice/rookie. So the saying goes: “You can’t teach Granny to suck eggs.” But, in Yudai’s case, he served a decent apprenticeship, before embarking on the pro-circuit.

His amateur record is 82-10, 20 KO’s. He won four national titles at Pinweight, and in 2018, he won the All Japan Boxing Championship at light flyweight. He wanted to compete in the 2020 Olympics, but this category was scrubbed, so without further ado, he turned pro.

In his pro debut on October 30^th 2019, Yudai stopped Manop Audomphanawari via TKO in two. His first fight of note was when he fought Lito Dante the OPBC straw weight champion in a non title fight, winning a UD.

After a fourteen months layoff, Yudai fought Ryu Horikawa for the vacant Japanese light flyweight belt winning via a fifth round TKO. A straight left put down Ryu in the third and more of the same two rounds later. The Referee stopped it. He then vacated the belt.

Yudai stepped up in class, defeating former OPBF Champion Tsubasa Koura winning a hard fought MD for the vacant Asia Pacific straw strap. He then won the vacant Japanese straw weight belt with a third round KO of Tatsuro Nakashima, vacating the belt only a month later.

Yudai was looking forward to fighting WBC Absolute Champion Panya Pradabsri for the WBC Championship, but the veteran Thai fell ill with strep throat and a temperature. So he fought Wilfredo Mendez for the Interim title. He knocked down Mendez in the fifth and seventh and Wilfredo was counted out.

Then, Yudai fought and convincingly defeated Panya via UD. All the more remarkable, because in round five he fractured both hands, yet persevered to triumph. Still aged twenty six, he’s four years younger than his challenger Melvin Jerusalem, who is a former world champion himself.

Melvin, 24-3, 12 KO’s, came very close to winning the WBC title against the legendary Wanheng Menayothin back in 2017. Melvin was docked a point in round eight for a blow south of the border. Had it not been for that, it would have been a MD.

He then lost by UD against Joey Conoy, having been knocked down in the seventh and deducted a point for a low blow one round later.

A bounce back with a UD victory over Toto Landero for the vacant OPBF straw title. Then three fights later, a brilliant second round TKO Champion Masataka Taniguchi in Osaka on January 6^th last year. A massive straight right in round two dropped Masataka, who struggled up and wobbled all over the show, with the Referee saving him.

However… less than four months later on May 27^th, Melvin was shorn of his crown by hard hitting undefeated Oscar Collazo at Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California. Melvin won the first three rounds with a precise left jab, but from there on southpaw Oscar had his measure, landing thudding body shots and combinations to the head. Melvin’s Trainer Michael Domingo had seen enough by the end of a punishing seventh round and would not allow him to come out for the next .

It’s the first stoppage defeat of Melvin’s career. It was at the hands of a southpaw and now he’s fighting another one who is a fresh faced keen as mustard WBC Champion.

Taniguchi trains in the same gym as the Shigeoka brothers and Yudai is promising to exact revenge when he swops punches with Melvin, pledging: “I will win by KO. I remember his win over Taniguchi-San. I can’t let him go unchecked.”

To win Melvin will somehow have to overcome his previous mauling. To achieve that he would have to draw inspiration from the poem of William Blake entitled: Jerusalem:

“Bring me my bow of burning gold,

Bring me my arrows of desire,

Bring me my spear, o clouds unfold,

Bring me my chariots of fire.”