Former World Boxing Organization bantamweight and former World Boxing Council interim super bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda of TMK GYM told a press conference in Tokyo on Sept. 6 he will compete in a featherweight bout in the 3150FIGＨT Vol.7 at Ota City General Gymnasium on Oct. 7.

  While his opponent has not yet been decided, the 32-year-old Tomoki, the youngest of ‘’the three Kameda brothers,’’ said, ‘’I will aim at winning the eighth world championship belt for the Kameda’s.

  The eldest son Koki Kameda, who is the president of Kameda Promotion Co. popularly known as ‘’the founder,’’ is a former three-weight world champion, while Daiki Kameda, the second son, is currently head of KWORLD3 Boxing Gym in Osaka and became a world champion in two different weight divisions.

  Tomoki, nicknamed El Mexicanito for his strong ties to Mexico, had always wanted to take a crack at the World Boxing Association super bantamweight title as he was ranked 1^st by the division after beating Yonfrez Parejo of Venezuela in December 2021 in a fight dubbed the elimination bout for the then champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev of Uzbekistan. But the fight was not realized.

Koki Kameda then visited the United States to watch the fight between WBA and International Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion Akhmadaliev and Marlon Tapales of the Philippines on this past Apr. 8 in San Antonio, Texas (Tapales won by a split decision).

Kameda said he offered 3 million dollar-purse for the Tapales side (for the fight with Tomoki). Keiichiro Kanehira, head of the TMK GYM who was present at the day’s press conference, said the WBA sent a letter of approval (of the fight between Tapales and Tomoki) to Kanehira at the beginning of May. But it retracted its approval quickly. The WBA later brought up the matter of an elimination bout between Tomoki and Akhmadaliev so that the winner can challenge Tapales.

Though Kanehira asked the Akhmadaliev side about the matter, his plea fell on deaf ears.

  In this connection, Tomoki said, ‘’I think this bad experience will serve me in good stead in my future.’’

  According to Tomoki, who wanted to move up to the featherweight division two years ago, the reason he stayed at super bantamweight was the possibility of being able to fight with current WBC and World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘’the Monster’’ Inoue of Ohashi Boxing Gym.

  ‘’I was counting on the possibility of being able to fight (with Inoue) if there was only 1 percent possibility. I think everybody wants to fight with the best boxer in a given division,’’ Kameda added.

  Since Inoue is scheduled to fight with Tapales in the title unification fight within this year, which secluded Tomoki’s plan, Tomoki, therefore, decided to change his course and move up to featherweight.

  Though Tomoki once parted company with Koki, the latter said, ‘’In those days, I did not have the capability of arranging a world title fight. I think I am capable of doing better. I am determined to arrange a world title fight for Tomoki.’’