Melvin Jerusalem vs Siyakholwa Kuse for the straw weight kingdom

Melvin Jerusalem, at one point, was the only champion the Philippines had. You can say that he was a national treasure. Standing at 5 feet 2 inches, weighing 105 pounds, and being 31 years old, becoming a champion was a difficult task. He had to bounce back from earlier losses. With a record of 24-3, 12 KOs, his relentless style pressures his opponents into making mistakes; however, he is vulnerable to right hooks after throwing a straight right.

South Africa's Siyakholwa Kuse’s strength lies in his speed and combinations. He moves well, but he can also be very predictable. The problem is that those are also Jerusalem’s strengths; the only difference is that Jerusalem can deliver and do those things better. He and Jerusalem are not known for their power, so it isn't easy to imagine a scenario in which one gets knocked out. Kuse stands at 5 feet 2 inches, weighs 103.8 pounds, and is only 22 years old. He is 9 years younger than his opponent.

Kuse’s best chances against Jerusalem are a counter to Jerusalem’s straight right and an attack with punches to the body. Oscar Collazo was able to slow Melvin Jerusalem with that. Ever since losing to Collazo, Melvin has greatly improved, winning against Yudai Shigeoka to win the WBC title, then defending against Luis Castillo in Manila, and then once again defeating Yudai Shigeoka even more convincingly in Japan.

Melvin knows that he faces a fighter with less experience than he does. In turn, expect Melvin to want to end this fight with a knockout. But he will have some difficulty doing so against Kuse.

Melvin Jerusalem wins by unanimous decision on October 29th, 2025 in Manila.