Angelo Leo Bests Tomoki Kameda; Fulton Unification Possible
Angelo Leo took a big gamble defending the IBF featherweight title against Tomoki Kameda in the challenger’s home county. It paid off with Leo winning by a majority decision win (115-113, 116-112, 114-114). Down the road for Leo could be a potential battle with WBC 126-pound champion Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton.
Fighting at the INTEX Exhibition Center in Osaka, Japan, Leo (26-1, 12 KOs) versus Kameda (42-5, 23 KOs) was a tactical battle. The defending champion did an excellent job of neutralizing the challenger’s speed with a solid jab and using good head and foot movement to avoid the shots of the Japanese fighter.
The middle rounds were evenly competitive as Kameda began to find success with his jab and nice counter-right hands. Leo was scoring with uppercuts and doing some solid work on the inside. It was during championship rounds that the champion asserted himself. Seeing the fight could be up for grabs, he raised his level of urgency, gritted his teeth, and outworked Kameda.
During the post-fight interview, Leo said he would like to fight again in Japan this summer. However, thinking long-term, his camp may likely target a fight with Fulton. In January 2021, Cool Boy Steph scored a unanimous decision victory over Leo to claim the WBO junior featherweight title.
One would surely think that Leo has eyes on fighting Fulton again, this time at featherweight, with the opportunity to become a unified champion. It would be an opportunity for Leo to gain sweet revenge.
Be the first to comment