Melvin Jerusalem vs. Siyakholwa Kuse II - May 16, 2026

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Melvin Jerusalem vs. Siyakholwa Kuse rematch set for May 16 in South Africa

Melvin Jerusalem will be making his next title defense in a rematch; just not the one people had expected.

The 32-year-old Filipino fighter will make the fourth defense of his WBC strawweight title on May 16 against Siyakholwa Kuse in a rematch of their fight last October in the Philippines. This time, the fight will take place on Kuse’s home soil at Emperor’s Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s a risky proposition for Jerusalem, though promoter Jim Claude Manangquil of Sanman Promotions tells BS that the contract calls for the judges and referee to come from neutral countries, while Jerusalem will arrive 20 days before the fight to acclimate to the nearly 6,000 foot elevation in South Africa.

“We talked with Kuse’s team Golden Gloves and requested our terms like getting there very early. They were happy to give us all so we are quick to get a deal,” said Manangquil.

“It’s always a risk but Melvin is used to this. He also thought he will do a lot better than when he beat Kuse the first time.”

Jerusalem, who spoke with BS on a phone call as he celebrated the news with a 30-kilometer (or 18.5 mile) run through his hometown of Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon province in the Philippines. Jerusalem says he’s disappointed that his unification fight with WBO/WBA champion Oscar Collazo was canceled - a casualty of the Jaron Ennis-Vergil Ortiz Jnr fight being shelved due to litigation - as it would have given him a chance to avenge his seventh round stoppage loss to the unbeaten Puerto Rican three years ago. Jerusalem says there’s still something to prove in the rematch with Kuse, 9-3-1 (4 KOs),

“I did not give the best in my last fight. This time I will give African fans a good fight to defend my belt,” said Jerusalem, 25-3 (12 KOs).

“That time I’m sleepy, the time in my last fight was almost 2 a.m. in the morning but it’s no excuses because we know we will fight in the main event.”

Jerusalem adds that he began warming up for that fight at 7 p.m., expecting to enter the ring at 8 p.m., but the fight was postponed for nearly six hours due the late arrival of VIPs.

Despite the promise of neutral officials, Jerusalem says he isn’t planning on leaving the result in the hands of the judges, knowing that he won’t be the local favorite that night.

“This time it’s in my opponent’s hometown so I will do my best to knock out my opponent because if I finish the rounds maybe the decision will be for my opponent,” said Jerusalem, who reports to training camp at the end of this week in Cebu City, Philippines.

Jerusalem has fought five times outside of the Philippines, going 3-2 in those fights, including both of his world title winning victories in Japan.

[Ruthless-RKO]

In two weeks

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Fight week!!

[giacomino]

“ That time I’m sleepy, the time in my last fight was almost 2 a.m. in the morning but it’s no excuses because we know we will fight in the main event.”

Have to say that’s a new one. Maybe other fighters have said it, I just don’t remember. I do always love when someone gives an excuse and then adds “but it’s not excuse.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Jerusalem heads to South Africa for rematch with Kuse

Rather than wait, after a unification fight with Ring, WBA and WBO strawweight titlist Oscar Collazo went up in smoke, Melvin Jerusalem takes his WBC title to South Africa where he'll face Siyakholwa Kuse in a rematch

Jerusalem, who is rated No. 1 by The Ring at 105 pounds, will face Kuse at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg on Saturday.

"We are prepared to go there. I have no problem giving them a good fight and winning the fight for the Philippines," Jerusalem (25-3, 12 KOs) told The Ring.

"I'm used to fighting in some other countries, mostly Japan, and it's not my home but I built my confidence to fight anywhere."

Jerusalem won a hotly contested 12-round unanimous decision in October in The Philippines.

"Our last fight was good. We will do more of it, so that the people watching can enjoy it," he said. "He is a good boxer. We don't know what's going to happen, so we must be prepare."

The defending champion arrived in South Africa on April 29 to acclimate to the altitude and time difference.
He will be armed with knowledge of Kuse having shared a ring with him seven months ago.

"I will show a lot more stuff than the first fight," he said. "I will show in the ring what I learned from the first fight. Even though I won, I can do a lot better, especially now I'm on the road. I love challenges."

The hope is that a win will set up the much-anticipated fight with Collazo later this year.

"We are open about the rematch with Collazo, but It didn't happen," he said. "So, we are just focusing on this fight and winning it.

"I'm just waiting for the plan of my manager and boss."

Kuse (9-3-1, 4 KOs), rated No. 4 by The Ring at 105, is a 22-year-old southpaw. He edged past stablemate Beavon Sibanda (MD 12) and stepped into international class by beating former world title challenger Samuel Salva (UD 10) before his close defeat against Jerusalem.

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Tonight!

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KUSE DREAMING OF LIFE-CHANGING TITLE WIN IN JERUSALEM REMATCH

South Africa's Siyakholwa Kuse ran WBC strawweight titlist Melvin Jerusalem close, losing a hard-fought unanimous decision in The Philippines last October.
It was an important learning curve for him, but The Ring's No. 4-rated strawweight expected to get back in line for a second opportunity. However, when the much discussed unification between Jerusalem and Ring, WBA and WBO champion Oscar Collazo fell apart in March, Kuse's promoter Rodney Berman swept in.

He quickly brokered a deal to bring Jerusalem to South Africa, securing home advantage this time for their immediate rematch on Saturday at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg.

"I thank my promoter for giving me this opportunity," Kuse (9-3-1, 4 KOs) told The Ring. "I have to prove myself, make corrections, correct my guard, protect myself and [up my] work rate, throwing power punches.

"Me and my team, we prepared and are ready for him. I'm very excited the fight is here [at home] because I will fight in front of my people and hold that belt in front of them."

Golden Gloves CEO Berman was keen to make the rematch when it presented itself.

"It was a very close fight in The Philippines and we all expected it would go to Jerusalem, but had it been in South Africa, he [Kuse] would have won the fight," said the veteran promoter.

"What upset me wasn't the decision so much, it was the disparity in the scoring. Two of the judges gave it by four points to Jerusalem."

Having shared the ring together seven months ago, both are aware of what the other brings to the fight, so who can make corrections and adapt better will likely have the advantage.

"[Jerusalem's] a good boxer, he can punch," said the challenger. "[But I'm] 100 percent confident, I'm going to beat him."

Berman believes the experience of the first fight, fighting overseas and getting an unexpected quick return will serve his fighter well.

"He learned a lot, put up a great fight, was much better than even I thought, fighting in hostile territory for the first time and handled it brilliantly," said Berman. "I wouldn't have gone to this trouble unless he was going to be the champion.

"As good as he is and [trainer] Manny [Fernandez] saw certain deficiencies which he's sorted out. We're very confident."

Fernandez, who also oversees stablemate Ricardo Malajika, has prepared his fighter accordingly.

"It's managing the rounds, managing the work rate," he explained. "There's a few things we need to adjust and Siya understands. It's the quality of punches that counts.

"The rules say protect yourself at all times and that means keep your hands up at all times. Whereas in the amateurs they say, 'break' and the guys drop their hands, Jerusalem was clever with his experience, he took one step back and came straight back at Siya to scored a lot of points that way."

Meanwhile the 27-year-old, who comes from humble beginnings in the Eastern Cape, was a good amateur, winning three national titles and fought in other countries.

However, going to The Philippines was drastically different for him having had all his professional fights at home.

Now he has ticked that box, he is more battle-hardened and if he can win the world title it would allow him to improve his life as well as his family.

"It would mean a lot to me, it was my dream when I was an amateur," he said. "I used to say, "One day, I will be one of the great boxers in South Africa.

"I came from a struggling family. It would change a lot. I said, 'I will do everything for my family. I will buy a house for them.' It would allow me to do better things for my family."

Jerusalem, The Ring's No. 1-rated strawweight, fell narrowly short when losing a 12-round decision to then-WBC champion Wanheng Menayothin. He made amends in his second opportunity, scoring a second-round finish of Masataka Taniguchi for the WBO strap.

He yielded the title in his first defense against Collazo (RTD7) but impressively bounced back to annex the WBC title from Yudai Shigeoka with a 12-round split decision. He has made three defenses, including a Shigeoka rematch and Kuse last time out.

[Evander]

116-111
116-112
115-112
Kuse by UD

Not seen it yet

[Ruthless-RKO]

116-111
116-112
115-112
Kuse by UD

Not seen it yet

Yh struggled to find anything on it.

[handsofstone]

Just got around to watching this, was pretty even stevens first half but Jerusalem suffered a cut to the left eye then Kuse took over, boxed behind the southpaw jab, 1/2s kept it simple, Jerusalem struggled with the blood but round 11 he dropped Kuse with a counter right cross, Kuse wasn't hurt and boxed his way to decision

[Ruthless-RKO]

Kuse excited after winning WBC 105-pound title: 'Start of my dream'

South Africa's Siyakholwa Kuse won the WBC strawweight title from Melvin Jerusalem in their rematch at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg on May 16.

Kuse, The Ring's No. 2-rated strawweight, made the most of his second opportunity by winning 116-111, 116-112 and 115-112 on the scorecards.

"I am very happy, feeling good," Kuse (10-3-1, 4 KOs) told The Ring. "I cannot explain what I feel. This is the start of my dream."

Both fighters fought on even terms during the early exchanges and the WBC's open scoring saw each man ahead on one scorecard, while the third card had their bout even through four frames.

However, the defending champion didn't come out of those rounds unscathed and bore two cuts, one near his eye and another on top of his head, from head clashes in the second and third rounds.

"The fight was not easy, the champion came prepared," he said. "He went to Japan to prepare for this fight and came to South Africa early to acclimatize.

"Most of the time, southpaw and orthodox headbutt each other. It was him who was coming with the head. It was not a blow [that caused the cut] it was a headbutt."

The challenger upped the pace, took the initiative and was ahead after eight rounds across the board, leading 78-74, 78-75 and 77-75. Just as the fight seemed to be getting away from Jerusalem, he dropped Kuse in the 10th round.

"I was trying to catch him with the hook but he was fast with his straight right," explained Kuse. "After he caught me when I was down, I couldn't believe it. I wasn't dizzy, I stood up and continued doing what I was doing. I cannot say I was hurt, I still collected points after that."

The fight went to the scorecards and the South African became the fourth fighter from his country after Kevin Lerena, Sugar Boy Malinga and the late Dingaan Thobela to hold the WBC title.

"I did feel I got the decision but at the same time I was thinking about the knockdown and could lose the fight but coach Manny told me, 'Don't worry, you were leading even if he knocked you down,'" he said.

Kuse is living in the moment and leaving what's next to his team, whilst enjoying a rare treat.

"My thoughts are to stay focused and stay in the gym," he said. "I will wait for anything that comes and will start defending the title.

"I didn't celebrate after the fight. I celebrated on Tuesday because it my birthday. I bought some cake and ate it with my gym mates."

Golden Gloves CEO Rodney Berman, who has long been the continent's biggest and most prolific promoter, has produced many world champions over the past five decades including Vuyani Bungu, Welcome Ncita, Mbulelo Botile and Hekkie Budler.

However, despite so many highs in the sport, the veteran promoter is thrilled to add Kuse to that list and believes a big future awaits.

"There is absolute euphoria amongst the whole boxing fraternity in South Africa capturing everyone's imagination," Berman said, before confirming there was a rematch clause in place for a trilogy bout.

"I am hopeful of agreeing with Jerusalem to step aside for a first defense. Of course, there is always the possibility of [Ring, WBA/WBO champion Oscar] Collazo wanting to unify."