Photo by David Earnisse/Premier Boxing Champions
On the October 16 edition of PBC on Spike, WBA Super Flyweight champion Kohei Kono (31-8-1, 13 KOs) scored a unanimous decision victory against Koki Kameda (33-2, 18 KOs) to successfully retain his crown at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois.
Kono, 34, fought at close range with Kameda, 28, during the entire fight, and landed the harder shots against his younger opponent.
“If we had fought using movement, he probably would have beaten me, but he decided to trade punches with me and that gave me a chance to win,” said Kono.
The inside fighting, however, proved risky for Kameda as it would lead to a swollen left eye and deducted points.
In Round 2, after several combinations to the body and head from both fighters, Kameda landed a blow blow on Kono.
Kono would respond by dropping Kameda with a left hand, but it did not prevent Kameda from beginning another body assault.
As both men exchanged in Round 3, Kameda landed more shots below the belt, which forced referee Celestino Ruiz to deduct two points from Kameda.
Despite the low blows, Kono was stronger and more accurate with his power shots, eventually swelling Kameda’s left eye. Kono would continue landing punishing blows, though he was deducted a point for holding in Round 9.
Photo by David Earnisse/Premier Boxing Champions
Kono, a native of Tokyo, Japan, won with scores of 116-108, 115-109 and 113-111, while his Japanese countryman calls it a career.
“I was going to make a decision on whether to retire or not based on my performance,” said Kameda.
“He fought very well and I was surprised by his power,” said Kameda, “I think it’s time for me to retire.”
As for Kono, his career is boosted by a win in the United States.
“I am so happy that I got to face Kameda and get this victory over him. It is a big win for my career,” said Kono.
