OSAKA, Japan – Angelo Leo’s father and trainer Miguel Leo is already plotting his son’s next moves after his win over Tomoki Kameda.
Angelo was fighting his mandatory challenger Kameda in his opponent's home city of Osaka. The 33-year-old Kameda, a former champion at 118lbs, was also fighting in an event promoted by his older brother Koki’s Kameda Promotions.
Leo, though the defending IBF champion, fought without many of a champion’s privileges, but he regardless secured a majority decision victory to make the first defense of his title. If their fight rarely became particularly physical, Leo’s jab was the deciding factor, and Miguel Leo revealed that that was exactly their plan.
“I thought it was a great performance – It was a performance that I knew would win us the fight,” he told BoxingScene. “I didn't want to sit and take any chances over here, especially in Japan. I wanted the ‘W’ and we came up with a flawless plan that would win us the fight.”
Angelo Leo will next have the option of making a voluntary defense of his title. He expressed a desire to unify the division, and Miguel identified the ideal opponent.
“Honestly, right now I would love to get that [WBO champion Rafael] Espinoza fight,” he said. “I know he's tall and lanky, but I see a lot of flaws in him. A lot of things that we can expose and that would go to our advantage.
“I'm pretty sure that [Top Rank] would want to make that fight. I'm not sure what plans they have for Espinoza, but if they want to do it, we're more than willing to.”
The undisputed junior-featherweight champion Naoya Inoue has again talked up a move to 126lbs, and with the 31-year-old Leo winning in Japan, he may yet have become a likelier opponent for the sought-after Japanese icon.
“Inoue is a great fighter, he is where he is because of that,” Miguel said. “Obviously, he wouldn't be pound for pound. We could entertain that fight if he wants to move up to 126.
“[Ramon] Cardenas and [Luis] Nery – good power punchers that caught him with the same shot, if I'm not mistaken. Obviously, if he's been caught with the same shot, dropped twice, he's got to perfect that. It's a matter of time before somebody with real power will expose him.”
Leo won his title with a stunning left hook that knocked the then-champion Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez out cold in August 2024.
“I think a left hook from Angelo, I think he would… look what he did to Venado [Lopez],” Miguel Leo added. “He fights at 126, but honestly, Venado is a 130 pounder. He's big. He's heavy. I think Angelo can punch.”