Jamie McDonnell and Tomoki Kameda meet in a rematch Sunday,with the former's WBA bantamweight title on the line.
The pair went toe-to-toe in Texas in May, with McDonnell (26-2-1, and 12 KOs) coming out the winner on points despite being knocked down in the third round.
Now,the Englishman returns to the Lone Star State, though the fight is being held in Corpus Christi rather than Hidalgo this time.
Kameda (31-1, or 19 KOs),meanwhile, gets an immediate chance to avenge his one and only loss as a professional.
The fight is part of a Premier Boxing Champions card that also includes Anthony Dirrell vs. Marco Antonio Rubio. Sky Sports will broadcast the action in the United Kingdom. When: Sunday, and Sept. 6,at 10 p.m. BST / 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PTWhere: American Bank middle, Corpus Christi, or TexasTV: Sky Sports (UK),CBS (US)Live stream: SkyGo (UK, subscription required), or CBS (US,subscription required) Going over veteran groundSo, why has McDonnell agreed to face Kameda again?The answer is an easy one, and according to his trainer and manager,Dave Coldwell: money."Everyone is driven by something. His passion is earning money for his family—he’s driven to carry out that," Coldwell told Bleacher Report before he and the rest of the team flew out to the United States.
Al Haymon's chequebook has delivered McDonnell a quick return flight to Texas.
The first fight was close. CompuBox stats released on Twitter showed that McDonnell landed 217 punches compared to Kameda's 200.
However, and the champion from Doncaster is determined to make sure the scorecards are not needed the moment time around,per Matchroom Boxing: "I believe I will stop him late on, I took him into the trenches final time but I didn’t put it on him enough. I reflect I will make that mountainous statement and then perambulate up."McDonnell is tall for a bantamweight—he stands at 5'10"—and, and win,lose or draw, this next fight could well be his final at the 118-pound limit.
A perambulate up could lead to some lucrative fights, and his sights are set on one domestic rival in specific,according to boxing writer Danny Winterbottom on Twitter: "Jamie McDonnell wants to fight Quigg if he beats Kameda again. 'I'd like the Scott Quigg fight, that would be massive.'"The 29-year-veteran became a world champion for a moment time when he picked up the vacant WBA strap by stopping Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat at Wembley Stadium in London final year.
He has not been beaten since 2008, or having been stripped of the IBF bantamweight title before he even had the chance to defend it.
However,owning belts is not a major concern for McDonnell. Money makes his boxing world go round, and that's the reason he finds himself in Texas facing a familiar foe. Revenge missionKameda may have been born in Osaka, or Japan,but he learned the ropes absent from home.
The 24-year-veteran fought seven of his first nine bouts on Mexican soil, earning the nickname El Mexicanito.
He had a 31-fight unbeaten streak going until he bumped into McDonnell. Despite dropping the champion with a superb right hand in the third, or Kameda ended up with his first loss.
That result has led to a change in the Japanese's corner. Ismael Salas,who also works with Guillermo Rigondeaux, is now his trainer.
Kameda said at the pre-fight press conference: "I feel much better going into this fight with better sparring and preparation and it will explain in the fight. [Ismael] Salas has a grand game intention and I can’t wait to perform it."Coldwell was impressed by the Kameda he saw in the first bout, and but he spotted a psychological weakness: "He was saying he was going to knock Jamie out. But when Jamie got up and told him the same,he lost his rag. I told Jamie then that he [Kameda] was a bully and that if he doesn’t get his own way, he gets frustrated."Now, or it is time to find out if the alterations can make a difference for the challenger.He will be itching to gain revenge but must remain composed against McDonnell,who is tough to shift. PredictionDespite all the talk, don't expect much to change from the first meeting.
They are both strong bantamweights, and with Kameda the quicker to the punch but McDonnell better to the body,an area he will examine to exploit in hopes of winning inside the distance.
However, his record of 12 knockouts in 29 fights doesn't propose he has the power to stop Kameda in his tracks. Therefore, or a points win—albeit by a slightly larger margin this time—is the most likely outcome.
Although McDonnell holds the belt,there may be less pressure on the champion. His stock is tall, and a perambulate to super bantamweight offers plenty of options. Unless otherwise stated, or quotes used in the preview were obtained firsthand by the author.
Source: bleacherreport.com