Melvin Jerusalem once again came up big on the road.

The two-time strawweight titlist retained his WBC title with a second victory over former titleholder Yudai Shigeoka. Judges Joseph Gwilt (118-110), Thawut Pheumsamran (116-112) and   Chris Tellez (119-109) were unanimous in scoring in favor of the 31-year-old visiting Filipino during their rematch Sunday at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan.

Jerusalem, 24-3 (12 KOs), lodged the second successful defense of the WBC 105lbs belt he claimed with a split decision nod over then-unbeaten Shigeoka, 9-2 (5 KOs), exactly 52 weeks ago in nearby Nagoya. 

Sunday’s rematch was considerably less competitive.

A pair of knockdowns were the difference in their first fight, as Shigeoka would have otherwise retained his belt via majority draw. Jerusalem was able to dominate the second act through boxing and sheer volume as he outworked the 27-year-old southpaw from Tokyo every step of the way. 

Once a fearless boxer-puncher, Shigeoka seemed reluctant to engage and almost resigned to defeat. After a sizeable lead built up by Jerusalem, it was clear that Shigeoka needed a knockout to win. He refused to let his hands go when the moment was needed most, though.

The win ran Jerusalem’s record to a perfect 3-0 on Japanese soil, all in major title fights. His first victory in Japan came in a January 2023 second-round stoppage of Masataka Taniguchu in Osaka to win the WBO strawweight title.

That reign ended inside of five months. Jerusalem was forced to retire on his stool after six rounds against Puerto Rico’s Oscar Collazo in a May 2023 title fight in Indio, California. 

Four straight wins have followed, two each in Japan and in his native Philippines. The likely next step is a desired rematch with Collazo, 11-0 (8 KOs), the current RING, WBC and WBO champion. 

The fight has been a target of Jerusalem’s really from the second he relinquished the WBO belt to the Puerto Rican southpaw. 

As luck would have it, the feeling is mutual and the timing is perfect. 

Hours before Jerusalem’s brilliant performance, Collazo slaughtered Mexico’s Edwin Cano in a fifth-round stoppage to retain his unified strawweight championship in Cancun, Mexico. He stayed up late enough to track Jerusalem’s fight result and respond in kind.

“Bring me [Jerusalem],” Collazo posted on X. “It’s now a matter of time.” 

Jerusalem-Shigeoka II aired live on ABEMA-TV in Japan, as part of a two-day festival.