Melvin Jerusalem defeats South African foe to defend WBC belt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipino boxing star Melvin Jerusalem outpointed South African challenger Siyakholwa Kuse to successfully defend his World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight championship belt during the main event of the Thrilla in Manila 50th anniversary at the Araneta Coliseum.

In the hush of night on Oct. 30, 2025, all official ringside judges rewarded the bout to Jerusalem—116-112, 115-113, 116-112—capping off another title defense with a unanimous decision victory.

Despite fighting in the wee hours when the undercard and the co-main event lasted longer than expected, Jerusalem fought the agony of waiting and made the most of his rare home fight.

Jerusalem bucked a slow start when he allowed Kuse to dictate the pace in the first four rounds, banking on his reach to tally early jab points.

The Filipino pug also had several chances to pull his signature hook, but Kuse wisely backpedaled and picked his timing to avoid early damage from the champion.

It was midway through the fifth round when Jerusalem decided to let his hands go, tagging Kuse with a huge right overhand that took a toll on the South African’s relentless pressure.

From fighting with a passive approach, Jerusalem finally woke up and put some sense of urgency into his fight plan.

Not only did he counter better as the later rounds progressed, but he also shifted back to his favorite jab-straight combination to set up his crisp uppercuts.

Come the 10th round, Kuse began to slow down and underwent a defenseless sequence in the final 30 seconds of the frame when Jerusalem landed three straight punches.

Kuse attempted to revert to his first-round aggressiveness by putting back pressure, but Jerusalem wouldn’t be denied as he stepped on the gas pedal to wrap up the fight on a high note.

Jerusalem smelled blood when Kuse barely moved with his legs wobbling, adding more fuel to the fire as he received the final phase of punishment from the rejuvenated champion.

With the win, Jerusalem extended his winning streak to five consecutive matches and improved to 25 wins, 12 knockouts, and three defeats, while Kuse dropped to nine wins, four knockouts, and three losses.