Philippines, 21 Oct 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


PH Fighter of the Year, Top Fighters of 2024


PhilBoxing.com



Jerusalem is PhilBoxing Fighter of the Year.
I believe it is high time for our local boxing community through this website, philboxing.com, to come up with our own Fighter of the Year and such other awards of recognition for Filipino fighters who distinguished themselves during the year.

I submit I am just among the many writers and contributors who have been regularly submitting articles to this website which I also believe has become the authority as far as Philippine boxing is concerned in the international boxing community.

I also submit I am among the least and most junior of the many regular writers and contributors to this boxing website that counted on such boxing experts and pundits as Quinito Henson, Eric Amit, Carlos Costa, Nick Giongco, Lito de los Reyes and of course our editor in chief Dong Secuya.

Be that as it may, I wrote this article in the hope of eliciting feedbacks that hopefully will start the ball rolling so to speak towards the institution of this annual yearend awards of recognition to our worthy and deserving Filipino professional pugilists.

Fighter of the Year- Melvin Jerusalem

Melvin Jerusalem is the cause for celebration and jubilation for a nation hungry for another world boxing title and champion after a dismal 2023. Actually, Melvin had been in the same position early in 2023 when he knocked out Japanese Masataka Taniguchi for the WBO minimumweight crown ending the drought for Filipino world champion following a more dismal 2022. But Melvin got to hold on to his world title for only a few months losing it on his stool to then fast rising Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico in the US.

This year, Melvin made sure there would be no sad rerun. He broke the country's drought spell in world boxing championship again by beating a Japanese Yudai Shigeoka in Japan. He won by just split decision despite flooring Yudai twice.

With the first title defense jinx that bedeviled many a Filipino titlists including himself hovering over him, Jerusalem was slated to meet a tough Mexican, Luis Castillo, actually his mandatory challenger for his initial title defense.

There were fears that the jinx will strike again if Melvin were to make his first defense abroad. As it turned out the Japanese promoter who holds the right to Melvin's next fight after winning the belt from Yudai Shigeoka, expressed no interest in holding his defense versus Castillo in Japan.

Boxing great and former Senator Manny Pacquiao pounced on the opportunity to hold Jerusalem's title defense in the Philippines right before his countrymen. Through MP Promotions which partly promotes Jerusalem, Melvin's defense versus Castillo was slated as main event in the MP Promotion's weekly regular boxing show aired over Manny Pangilinan's TV 5's One Sport cable channel last September.

Jerusalem made it two major wins in 2024 by pounding out a 12 round unanimous decision over the tough and physically bigger Castillo to the delight of boxing fans watching live in Mandaluyong and over One Sport.

With this performance, Melvin Jerusalem richly deserves the award as the Philippines' Fighter of Year.

Honorable Mention: Pedro Taduran



Pedro Taduran could have given Jerusalem a stiff competition for top FOTY honor had his own first defense of his newly re-claimed IBF world minimumweight title against a Chinese top ranking contender in Jeju, South Korea not fell through.

Though the Chinese challenger is a reputed knockout artist, Taduran prevailing had that fight pushed through and via knockout or stoppage is a distinct possibility given the proven quality of fighter The General is especially in major fights abroad.

Truth to tell, though Taduran won his world title in Japan months after Jerusalem's feat, his title victory received more chatters and higher significance from fans and pundits alike as the champion he deposed, Ginjiro Shigeoka was generally considered as the better of the Shigeoka fighting brothers erstwhile world titlists.

The manner he won the crown was also more convincing. Pedro battered Ginjiro, a former Ring Magazine's New Face to Watch awardee, so badly and in one sided fashion that the referee had to halt the fight and save him from a certain gory knockout defeat and further damage that could spell finis to his young career.

Actually, Taduran also won his two fights during the 12 months in the reckoning having decisively beaten Jake Amparo in their world title eliminator bout in December 2023.

Fight of the Year: Jerusalem SD 12 Yudai Shigeoka

Knockout of the Year (tied): Taduran TKO7 Ginjiro Shigeoka, Johnriel Casimero TKO 1 Saul Sanchez

Upset of the Year: Vince Paras UD 10 Hiroto Kyoguchi

Discovery of the Year: Weljohn Mindoro

Prospect of the Year (tied): Arvin John Paciones, Lienard Sarcon

PH Top Fighters-2024
01. Melvin Jerusalem (minimumweight)
02. Pedro Taduran (minimumweight)
03 Johnriel Casimero (super bantamweight)
04. Marlon Tapales (super bantamweight)
05 Mark Magsayo (super featherweight)
06. Charley Suarez (super featherweight)
07. Christian Araneta (light flyweight)
08. Arvin John Paciones (light flyweight)
09. Carl Jammes Martin ( super bantamweight)
10. Lienard Sarcon (featherweight)/ Gerald Into (lightweight)

The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 20 OCTOBER 2025: Danny Garcia KOs Daniel Gonzalez; Juarez Defeats Nery; Bormann Unifies Belt vs Kuroki
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • "Round of the Year" Candidate Unfolds in Explosive Clash Between Undefeated Prospect Sebastian Juarez and Veteran Demarcus Layton
    , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • IIEE PSME Quezon City Simba's Tribe wins 4 straight in PCAP Tourney
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • GREEN TAM, RINGO LAM, HARPREET SINGH SCORE CRUSHING TKO WINS MONDAY IN THAILAND
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • Irish middleweight Jim Donovan Registers sensational KO in his Pro debut at home in Ireland
    , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • Kell Brook to return in February
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • EFREN REYES AND FRANCISCO BUSTAMANTE HEADLINE HISTORIC FIELD AS PHILIPPINES OPEN DRAW REVEALED
    , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • North Cotabato karatekas ready in BP 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • Fundora vs. Thurman Expected to Land on Manny Pacquiao's January Undercard
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • Hong Kong’s “Tyson” Ng and Harpreet Singh of India Ready to Rock for WBC Asia Strap
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • TEAM ASIA CONQUER THE WORLD TO COMPLETE HISTORIC REYES CUP TITLE DEFENCE
    , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • Jodiel Chloe Banawa: A 5-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Making Her Mark at the Provincial Meet
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • GM Joey is aiming for a world title shot
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Oct 2025
  • Patrick Bonifacio rules Directors Chess Cup
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Oct 2025
  • World Boxing Announces Elite Division World Rankings
    , Sun, 19 Oct 2025
  • BEN WHITTAKER PRESS CONFERENCE: EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AS NEW MATCHROOM SIGNING MEETS GAVAZI – PLUS: VUONG vs GWYNNE II
    , Sun, 19 Oct 2025
  • BIADO, YAPP, AND DUONG POWER TEAM ASIA TO THE BRINK OF GLORY
    , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • Prado, Catubig dominate DTI Run
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • YORK HALL FIGHT NIGHT RESULTS: GEORGE LIDDARD MAKES HISTORY TO BECOME THE YOUNGEST EVER BRITISH MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION
    , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • Usyk in Bare Knuckle event?
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • IIEE Singapore tops National Chess Olympiad, Quezon City Simba's Tribe wins 2 matches in PCAP
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • Liddard Destroys Conway to Claim British Middleweight Title, Becomes Youngest-Ever Champion
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • Keiron Conway vs George Liddard: Unbeaten Prospect Faces Stiff Challenge
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • Alicaba to fight for WBC Asian Continental super fly
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 18 Oct 2025
  • DAY TWO: STARBOY MANAS STEALS THE SHOW AS TEAM ASIA EXTENDS PERFECT RUN
    , Sat, 18 Oct 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.