One of the places on this Last Rounder's bucket list of places to visit is South Africa. More than its dramatic landscapes and its rich verdant culture, I am more fascinated with its wildlife—specifically, lions and their prides. For years now, I have followed interesting online blogs about male lions and how they fight for territory and mating rights over the pride. Given the chance, I wouldn't mind literally walking into a lion's den.
Jerusalem's Lion's Den
Alas, for former WBC minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem, that lion's den turned out to be the bright lights of Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, South Africa, where he lost his title in a high-stakes rematch against Siyakholwa Kuse last week. Seven months prior, in the heated cauldron of the Araneta Coliseum during the Thrilla in Manila 50th Anniversary, Jerusalem had edged out a hard-fought unanimous decision to retain his belt. This time, on Kuse's home soil, the South African roared back and got his revenge.
The Fight
I think these two only had one round to feel each other out. Being already familiar with their respective styles, it soon exploded into a war of attrition. Unfortunately, this was where things turned immediately south for the 32-year-old Filipino champion, as in round two, an accidental head clash opened a nasty cut above his eye.
As the blood flowed, Kuse zeroed in on the wound with relentless pressure and sharp shots. Jerusalem refused to wilt, as he was willing to absorb some punishment so long as he could fire back with counters. Regrettably, that cut turned the fight into a development that favored Kuse.
The drama peaked in the championship rounds as Jerusalem uncorked a thunderous counter right in the 11th that dropped Kuse to the canvas. From the online videos, I really could not see the punch that landed but Kuse rose quickly, undeterred, and stormed back with volume and aggression to close out the fight strongly. When the final bell rang, the judges had it all for Kuse at 116-111, 115-112, and 116-112 for a unanimous decision victory.
Prognosis
The WBC minimumweight title changed hands again and Jerusalem fell to 25-4 (12 KOs), while Kuse celebrated wildly, improving to 10-3-1 (4 KOs) and becoming South Africa's new world champion in front of an adoring crowd. The loss ends Jerusalem's reign after multiple defenses, and leaves us with only one remaining world boxing champion. Dreams of unification bouts against stars like Oscar Collazo now shift to the back burner as "El Gringo" must rebuild. A potential trilogy clause looms, offering hope for a tie-breaker in the unforgiving world of 105-pound boxing.
Last Round
It's on Fiscal Ging Lomanta, who recently celebrated her birthday. Cheers!
