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WBA bantamweight champion, the Japanese Koki Kameda, celebrates today the seventh anniversary of his triumph over the Venezuelan Juan José Landaeta, to win his first championship belt. It was the mínimum title.
Kameda defeated Landaeta by split decision in Yokohama, Japan. The scores were 115-113 and 114-113 for Kameda, while one favored the Venezuelan 113-112.
The young Asian boxer became world champion with only 11 fights, 9 of them by KO. In December, Kameda and Landaeta fought the rematch and Kameda won again, however this time by unanimous decision.
With time, Kameda moved up to the flyweight division and fought for the WBC title, and in 2010 he defeated another Venezuelan, this time was Alexander Muñoz to win the vacant WBA bantamweight title.
Kameda has defended his belt seven times, and he still shines as the WBA champion.
Seven years ago, Venezuelan Edwin Valero visited Panama City with the firm intention to become the champion of the WBA. His challenge was to defeat the Panamanian champion Vicente “Loco” Mosquera, in Arena Roberto Duran of Panama.
There were many angles about the fight scheduled for August 5, 2006. Some said Valero, who was undefeated up to then and with a record of knocking out all his opponents in the first round, had fought regular fighters, and Asians who had neither popularity nor experience.
Besides, the peculiar Venezuelan boxer and his trainer Jorge Zerpa had decided to work behind closed doors. He had taken his hotel room as a bunker to complete his preparation with nobody to bother him.
This ignited the climate that as the boxer said was pretty intense. Everyone knew of Valero’s power but trusted that Mosquera could defeat him.
Mosquera, who had won the belt in April 2005, and had the profile and the credentials to put an end the Venezuela’s undefeated record.
That day, with the Figali Convention Center completely full, Valero entered the the ring with the booing of attendees who supported the WBA super featherweight champion Vicente Mosquera.
A close give and take ensued, where both fighters were after control of the contest and showed their power during the first half of the fight.
The Puerto Rican referee Luis Pabon had to call the attention to both fighters on several occasions.
For many the actions were dominated by neither fighter, for others, Valero controlled the action in most of the fight and for many others, Mosquera got distracted at times and allowed Valero to defeat him.
Mosquera’s corner intervened and forced Pabon to stop the fight to end the punishment Mosquera was receiving in the tenth round.
Valero became the new WBA Super featherweight champion.
World Boxing Association Championships Committee will present different cases to be reviewed at the next directorate meeting on August 8 and 9, at the Hotel Westin Playa Bonita, in Panama.
This information was given by Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, WBA vice-president, and Championships Committee Chairman.
The 22 members of the Board, attending the meetings will review specific cases that await for decisions and they will also participate in update workshop.
