SAITAMA – Japan’s Koki Kameda won the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) bantamweight title on Sunday when he defeated Alexander Munoz of Venezuela by a unanimous decision.
The three judges scored it 115-111, 116-109 and 117-109, all in favour of Kameda.
The victory has made Kameda the first Japanese boxer to win three world titles, following the WBA light flyweight title in August 2006 and the World Boxing Council flyweight title in November 2009.
Kameda, ranked second in the WBA, improved his record to 24 wins, including 15 KOs, against one defeat.
Munoz, 31 and ranked fifth, saw his record reduced to 35 wins, including 27 KOs, against four defeats.
Earlier in the day, Daiki Kameda, Kameda’s younger brother, defended the WBA flyweight title by beating Silvio Olteanu of Romania by a split decision.
Daiki Kameda is the second of three boxing brothers, all of whom have bad-boy images in the media and among boxing fans.
Daiki was suspended from boxing for a year after his failed title bid against then World Boxing Commission flyweight champion Daisuke Naito in October 2007, for using dirty tactics including wrestling the veteran champion to the canvas.
Koki Kameda was reprimanded by the Japan Boxing Commission for urging his brother to fight dirty.
Their father, Shiro Kameda, has been barred by the WBC from serving as a cornerman in its matches for abusing match officials and has been slapped with a life ban by Japan’s boxing authority.
