OSAKA, Japan – Angelo Leo successfully defended his IBF featherweight title via a majority decision victory in his challenger Tomoki Kameda’s home city.
The contest was Leo’s first defense of the belt he won with a stunning sixth-round finish of Luis Alberto Lopez in August. There was to be no repeat of that devastating knockout, because Leo was made to work by Kameda for the full 12 rounds.
Leo, who rose to 16-1 (12 KOs) with the victory, won his title in his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, but this time had to battle through Kameda’s deafening home support in order to retain his title by scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112.
The fight was billed as the “final chapter” for Kameda – who fell to 42-5 (23 KOs) in defeat – and his fans made their presence known in what could be the final time he fights. The crowd cheered even the shots from Kameda that glanced the gloves of Leo. The home favorite had the support of thousands behind him in Osaka, and to the extent that only silence greeted Leo, 31, landing his first jab of the fight midway through the first round, and screams following Kameda delivering yet another glancing blow.
Those voices grew louder in the second when Kameda, 33, started to succeed in finding the target. Three successive jabs were celebrated like he was on course for a defining victory. Leo, regardless, was unfazed, and the defending champion started to exert his authority in the third. Leo snapped in his jab and whipped a right to the body; Kameda landed a hook as Leo came in to do it again, and the champion responded with a hook of his own before the time keeper signalled the end of the round.
Both fighters added some spite to their shots in the fourth; they seemed content with what they had seen from their opponent in the previous three, and therefore started to plant their feet. A left hand whistled past the head of Leo and he countered it with an uppercut; Kameda threw a right hand that again brought a huge cheer from his support.
Leo targeted the body in the fourth and had considerable success. A left hand to the ribs buckled the legs of Kameda, and Leo responded by upping the pace. He pressed his head into the chest of Kameda and smashed in another body shot. Kameda returned fire with shots to the midsection of his own, but Leo was growing into the fight.
Kameda responded well and landed a hard left to the body of Leo early in the sixth, but the champion outworked Kameda to potentially edge the round. Cries of “Tomoki” rang around the arena as his supporters sensed that the fight might be slipping away. Leo, regardless, also took the next session. He flicked in his jab and spitefully whipped in right hands to both Kameda’s body and head.
Leo had his best round of the fight in the ninth, He sent in a right hand that found Kameda’s chin, and clearly hurt him. Kameda grabbed on to Leo while the champion then smashed in two more body shots.
Kameda responded by having one of his best rounds in the 10th. A left hook landed and brought yet another scream from his supporters, and he then powered in another.
Heading into the final rounds, Leo appeared confident that was leading. Kameda pressed forwards, with a determination to claw back the likely deficit, but Leo stayed calm and flicked out his jab. The crowd then whistled Leo as he spun away from danger in the 12th and desperately cheered further ineffective punching from the challenger.
Kameda landed a powerful right hand on the stroke of the final bell but it proved insufficient to steal the round, and victory, away from Leo.
Confirmation of Leo earning a majority decision followed. He had said beforehand that he wanted to get Naoya Inoue’s attention. Perhaps a victory of that nature will tempt the “Monster” up to featherweight.