KAMEDA RETAINS WITH A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER!
Alexandria, VA – For a thirteen fight upstart, WBA 108 lb. titlist Koki Kameda (13-0, 10 KOs) fights with the mean streak of an aged veteran whose been held back his whole career. The sharper strategy and execution he brought to his Wednesday rematch with Juan Landaeta (20-5-1, 16 KOs) are signs that he’ll be able to keep that mean streak, and winning streak, going for the foreseeable future. Alternating between outboxing, outmoving, outslugging and outfouling Landaeta (along with some nasty taunting and a couple of Ali shuffles), Kameda showed off why he is not only one of the sports biggest stars right now but also one of its most talented prospects for the future.
GREAT ADDITION AT 108 POUNDS!
Did I say one of the biggest stars? You bet I did. Kameda is pulling TV numbers in his native Japan that compare with U.S. NFL viewer ship. More people have seen his last two fights than have seen Oscar De La Hoya’s last five. He may not be known in the U.S. but the beauty of an increasingly global sport is that stardom is not as exclusively made in the U.S. anymore. That doesn’t mean the money isn’t here. At 108 lbs., can Kameda cross over into the U.S. market? One need look no further than the Philippines for proof that he can.
PACQUIAO WASN’T THIS BIG THIS EARLY!
You know, the Philippines…home of current pound for pound king Manny Pacquaio. Pacquiao has become not only the national icon of his native land but a worldwide sensation that commands top dollar in Asia and the States. Kameda is slightly behind the Manny curve at the moment. Kameda has been a pro for only three years but has already beaten a former World champion (Saman Sorjaturong) and former titlist (Noel Arambulet) along with the two victories over tough contender Landaeta; Pacquiao was the lineal World champ at flyweight in the same time frame. However, Kameda is a bigger star at this point than Manny was with a bigger global buzz. He also has a better table set in front of him to run.
KAMEDA MATCHED LIKE A POTENTIAL GREAT!
We’ve already seen that Kameda won’t be matched like your typical regional attraction. Rather than rest on the highly controversial first win over Landaeta just months ago, Kameda went straight to the rematch and won decisively showing that he can make adjustments as a professional. His showmanship overshadowed an otherwise dull performance on Wednesday but it was a decisively winning run (even with a point deduction for leading continually with his head). To make the step to Manny-like popularity outside Japan, he would have to navigate a minefield of talent all around him. It includes men like divisional best warriors Ivan Calderon (WBO 105 lb. titlist, 27-0, 6 Kos) and Hugo Cazares (World/Ring champion, 108 lbs., 24-3-1, 18 KOs). Of course before fights that tough, he could venture into the ring with a man like Brian Viloria (former WBC 108 lb. titlist and U.S. Olympian) or stay home a bit longer to face some of Japan’s incredible 105 lb. titans like Yutaka Niida (20-1-3, 8 KOs) or Eagle Kyowa (17-1, 6 KOs).
STAR ON FAST TRACK TO SUPERSTAR?
Any path he chooses will be tough but Kameda has the opportunity to carve a niche not seen in the sports smallest divisions in decades. It’s not far fetched to think he could one day draw legitimate Pay-per-view numbers against even bigger men here in the U.S. like Vic Darchinyan and Jorge Arce. Pacquiao has proven that a fighter can be a star in Asia and make their star shine even brighter in the Las Vegas skyline. Kameda is poised to expand such a solar system.
”24-KARAT” SATURDAY NOTEBOOK…
ROCKY BALBOA ROCKED: Loved the new Rocky movie and I must note a personal highlight: Max Kellerman. His ‘call’ of the fictional movie bout was a reminder of why Max is such a gem for the sport. While this column was very critical of Max a couple months ago as regarded Joe Calzaghe, I also recognize that Max knows his stuff. I don’t doubt for a moment that his lines about being excited to call Rocky were genuinely felt. If there were more Max’s in the general population of fans, the sport wouldn’t suffer like it does…Also props to Kellerman for grilling Edison Miranda on why he’s not calling for a REAL World title shot at middleweight last Saturday on HBO…WEB BRODCASTING COMES OF AGE: For those who tuned in to Monday’s MaxBoxing broadcast, you saw a crystal picture as Joan Guzman defeated Antonio Davis to stay in the hunt at 130 lbs. The technical issues that plagued their first broadcast have been fixed and quality Boxing on the web has just become very real…FIGHT OF THE YEAR UP ON CHRISTMAS: If you’ve been reading me much this year, you already know what I think the fight of the year is but we’ll make that official Monday morning!
