By John MacDonald
Jamie McDonnell 24-2-1 (11 KOs) is set to defend his WBA “Regular” bantamweight title on October 4 at the First Direct Arena, Leeds ahead of a potential unification with WBO champion, Tomoki Kameda 30-0 (19 KOs).
Kameda recently made his American debut on the undercard of Saul Alvarez-Erislandy Lara where he stopped former champion Pungluang Sor Singyu in the seventh round and after the fight signed an agreement with advisor Al Haymon.
McDonnell’s promoter Eddie Hearn and Haymon had reached an agreement to stage the unification bout only for the WBO to call for Kameda to face mandatory challenger, Alejandro Hernandez 28-10-2 (15 KOs).
“We’re in talks with Al Haymon for a unification fight with Kameda,” Hearn told BoxingScene.com.
“Terms were agreed but the WBO had already enforced his mandatory so Jamie McDonnell will defend his title in Leeds then move on to a unification late in 2014 or early 2015 if they both win”
Warriors Boxing won the purse bids for the contest between the youngest of the Kameda dynasty and Hernandez with the bout to be staged in the U.S with November 1 looking a likely date.
McDonnell who was stripped of his IBF strap for failing to sign paperwork to face mandatory challenger Vusi Malinga in time, captured his second version of a 118lbs title stopping Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat with a devastating left hook on the undercard of Froch-Groves II.
October 4 will be the first defence of his title on a bill topped by British and Commonwealth super featherweight champion Josh Warrington 18-0 (2 KOs) against a yet to be named opponent. Former world champion Ricky Burns 36-4-1 (11 KOs) will make his 140lbs bow as he looks to rebound from back-to-back defeats against Terence Crawford and Dejan Zlaticanin. And Brian Rose 25-2-1 (7 KOs) will be in action for the first time since his unsuccessful title challenge against WBO light middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade.