On May 24, at INTEX Osaka, the main event of “3150 × LUSHBOMU vol.6” featured the IBF World Featherweight Title Match.
Reigning champion Angelo Leo (USA, 24 wins [12 KOs], 1 loss) defended his title against former WBO World Bantamweight Champion and former WBC Interim Super Bantamweight Champion Tomoki Kameda (TMK), the IBF’s No. 1 contender (42 wins [23 KOs], 4 losses). Leo won by decision, marking a successful first title defense.
At the official weigh-in the day before, both fighters came in at 57.0 kg. At the same-day weigh-in at 9:00 a.m. (with the IBF limit set at 61.6 kg), Leo weighed in at 61.5 kg and Kameda at 61.6 kg, both passing without issue.
For the 33-year-old Kameda, it was his first world title fight in nearly 5 years and 10 months — a bout in which he had staked everything. The opening round began with a cautious jab exchange. Leo started targeting the body early on. In round 2, Leo matched Kameda’s speed with sharp jabs, landed a left hook, and connected with a left uppercut during an inside exchange.
In round 3, Leo countered Kameda’s jab with a right hand, landed a clean left to the body, and followed with an uppercut. Kameda was forced on the defensive, taking jabs and suffering a nosebleed. In round 4, Kameda’s jabs missed their mark, while Leo dominated the body exchanges. Kameda tried to unleash combinations, but Leo slipped them effectively.
In round 5, Kameda pressed forward, while Leo responded with a left uppercut to the body. Both fighters traded left body shots at close range. In round 6, Kameda jabbed his way inside and landed a left to the body, but Leo returned with a triple left hook upstairs and downstairs, followed by a sudden right straight.
Round 7 saw Leo landing uppercuts from both hands in close quarters. Kameda scattered jabs to the head and body, then went back to the left to the body. In round 8, both fighters exchanged jabs and body shots, trading uppercuts inside. Kameda landed a right hook, but Leo responded quickly to maintain control.
In round 9, Kameda pursued Leo and landed a right hook and a left to the body. However, Leo landed a memorable right hook in return. In round 10, Kameda applied pressure and landed a left hook followed by a right straight. Although Leo responded with a left uppercut, Kameda appeared to be fighting smartly.
In round 11, Leo showed signs of fatigue but managed to clinch effectively after punching. Kameda fired off left hooks to the head and body, but Leo edged the round with clever tactics. In the final round, Leo used his footwork, moved well while jabbing, and landed flurries of hooks and uppercuts when closing the distance. Kameda landed a solid right straight, but Leo’s higher volume and accuracy likely gave him the edge.
The official scores were 116-112 from Gil Co (Philippines) and 115-113 from Carl Zappia (Australia) in favor of Leo, with Richard Blouin (Canada) scoring it a 114-114 draw — resulting in a majority decision victory for Leo.
From round 5 onward, Kameda applied pressure and adjusted his strategy, fighting effectively. However, the points he lost in the first four rounds proved costly. Despite his rally in the second half, he fell short against Leo’s all-around skills.
Kameda has proven that he can compete at a world-class level even in the featherweight division!
This article has been translated and published with permission from BOXING MASTER.
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