Win or lose against Angelo Leo, retirement will not come next for Tomoki Kameda

OSAKA, Japan – Tomoki Kameda believes he will have to call on his experience fighting out in Mexico when he takes on Angelo Leo this Saturday for the IBF featherweight title in Osaka, Japan.

Kameda spent much of his early professional years fighting in Mexico after the Kameda family, that includes brothers and former world champions Koki and Daiki, had their licenses suspended after several run-ins with the Japanese Boxing Commision. 

Tomoki, the youngest of the three fighting brothers, had 16 contests in Mexico during the first four years of his professional career. Due to spending so much time there, Kameda has picked up the Mexican style of fighting, something he feels will benefit him when he faces the Mexican-American Leo on Saturday.

“Definitely it's helped, all the experience in Mexico helped for this fight,” Kameda told BoxingScene through a translator. “I moved to Mexico when I was 15 years old. I've had 47 fights so far, so definitely it helps. I'm going to do a great show.”

Leo, a former champion at 122lbs, will be making the first defense of the title he won with a Knockout of The Year contender over Luis Alberto Lopez back in August of 2024. The brutal one-punch finish that Leo inflicted on Lopez caused a bleed on the Mexican’s brain. This, however, is no concern to Kameda.

“He's a great fighter, he's a two-time world champion, so definitely he's a great fighter,” he said. “The style makes fights, so last time he did a great job with a great knockout, but you know there's a triangle celly, so we cannot say he can do the same performance with me.

“I'm not sure what kind of fight it's going to be. I'm sure Leo will do his best. I'm going to do my best. It's going to be a great show. I'm going to be victorious.”

The fight has been labeled as the former bantamweight champion Kameda’s final chapter as he heads into his bout against Leo. Kameda, however, has no plans to walk away just yet.

“So this is what promoter [Kameda’s brother Koki] decided, so there's nothing to do with me, but you know I feel like I'm in the best condition now and I'm in the prime,” he said. “I'm not intending to retire after this fight, whatever the result.”