On 6 June, sixth-ranked Michael Angeletti (US) secured a split decision victory over third-ranked Kenneth Llover (Philippines) in an IBF bantamweight world title eliminator scheduled for 12 rounds. The bout was featured on the “3150FIGHT 10” card held at Hall A of the Aichi International Exhibition Centre (Aichi Sky Expo) in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture. The judges’ scorecards read 116-111 and 115-112 for Angeletti, and 112-115 for Llover. With this victory in the clash between unbeaten world-ranked contenders, Angeletti earned the mandatory challenger position for the title held by champion Jose Sanmartin Reyes (Mexico).
ラバーに初黒星をなすりつけたアンジェレッティ
Angeletti, staying on the back foot to maintain distance, repeatedly caught the hard-hitting southpaw Llover with left hooks as Llover attempted to press forward with powerful straight lefts.
In the second round, Llover intensified his pressure by targeting the body with straight lefts before landing a looping left around Angeletti’s extended right guard to score a knockdown. It was a highly unfortunate moment for Angeletti, who had simultaneously lost his footing after his leg was stepped on.
Although Llover looked to capitalize on the momentum, Angeletti skillfully neutralized the aggression, turning his opponent and at times forcing Llover against the ropes. While Llover demonstrated solid defensive slipping capabilities with his back to the ropes, his vaunted offensive output gradually began to diminish.
By the middle rounds, Angeletti began landing impactful right hands and increasingly forced Llover onto the back foot. Llover attempted to break the momentum by launching leaping rights off his straight lefts, but Angeletti maintained control with versatile boxing, proving effective both moving backward and pressing forward.
In the 10th round, Angeletti trapped Llover in the corner and unleashed a combination, landing successive short rights. He then established distance with his lead foot, controlling Llover behind a quick, long left jab.
Llover continued to look for a decisive straight left until the final bell, but Angeletti’s defense—reliant on high guards, footwork, and inside smothering—proved superior. Angeletti also displayed greater versatility by effectively utilizing both hands, contrasting sharply with Llover, who became overly reliant on his predictable straight left.
With the victory, the 29-year-old Angeletti improved to 15-0 (8 KOs). The 23-year-old Llover suffered his first professional defeat, moving to 17-1 (12 KOs).
