Angelo Leo, the IBF featherweight champion, says he’s not taking his first title defense against Tomoki Kameda lightly.
The Mexican-American Leo, while confirming his upcoming May 24 bout against Japan’s Kameda to BoxingScene, described the fight that is set to take place in Osaka, Japan, as his “most important”.
Leo is unfazed by the threat of facing Kameda in enemy territory.
“I feel good. I feel really good. It’s a new experience for me to fight someone in their hometown. But, I’ve overcome more difficult obstacles than that, so we’re ready to go. I’m the world champion, so I go in there with the belt and I’m just ready to go,” said Leo.
Leo, 25-1 (12 KOs), became a two-division belt-holder last August when he recorded a spectacular 10th round KO of Luis Alberto Lopez, snatching the IBF 126-pound title in the process. Leo, who previously held the WBO junior featherweight strap, was straight back in the gym training after the victory.
The Las Vegas-based fighter said he was familiar with the 42-4 (23 KOs) Kameda, having had sparring sessions with the former WBO bantamweight titlist in Las Vegas.
“I think it’s going to be a great fight. He’s a former world champion. I’m a current and former world champion, so I think he’s going to bring his all due to the fact that he’s fighting in his hometown. And I’m going to bring my all because I have a chip on my shoulder as well and I want to prove to the people that I’m a legitimate world champion.”
Kameda defeated Paulus Ambunda in 12 rounds to win the WBO 118-pound title in August 2013. After three successful defenses, he lost the belt to Jaime McDonnell in May 2015 in consecutive fights. Kameda then moved up to 122 pounds, winning five consecutive contests and securing the WBC interim junior featherweight title in November 2018.
Eight months later, Kameda challenged and lost to Rey Vargas in a WBC junior featherweight championship. Kameda moved on to 126 pounds, winning four out of five fights. On May 24, the Japanese will have his maiden opportunity at fighting for a featherweight title.
“I’m not going [looking] for a knockout but if it comes, it comes,” said Leo. “But if not, we’re just going out there and I see the fight playing out with my hand raised.”
When asked about his plans for 2025, Leo said: “I don’t know exactly what they have in store for me. But my main goal is to go in there to give the fans a great show every single time and to look spectacular in all my performances.
“But I do know they have talked about me fighting in a unification bout. We’re ready for any of those. I think 2025 is the year that I’ll put everyone on notice and to let everyone know that I’m here to stay.”
Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].
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