JAMIE MCDONNELL will fight Tomoki Kameda on September 6 for the Brit’s WBA ‘regular’ world bantamweight title in a rematch of their enthralling fight in May.
The Doncaster fighter rose from a heavy knockdown to beat the highly-touted Kameda on points in Hildago, Texas in what was one of the best fights of the year so far.
The pair will resume hostilities in the same state at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi on a bill that also features former super-middleweight world champion Anthony Dirrell and Cornelius Bundrage’s defence of his IBF light-middleweight crown against Jermall Charlo.
McDonnell’s manager and trainer, Dave Coldwell, feels his charge deserved more recognition after the win in May but is excited to have confirmed the rematch.
“I feel as though he’s not had the credit he deserves for that fight. He has from certain people in the industry but he’s not been pushed as much as I would have liked,” he told Boxing News.
“This one, it’s a Sunday afternoon show and on the back of the last one, I think he’ll get a lot more exposure. Just the reaction on Twitter has been phenomenal.
“It will be great for his profile but, more importantly for Jamie, is that the money is excellent.”
The show will air on Sky Sports in the UK and is a part of Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series in the US and will be broadcast on free-to-air CBS in the States.
“It’s not just the fact that it’s a big money fight and will give him a big status, it opens more doors,” Coldwell noted.
“With [WBA ‘super’ world champion Juan Carlos] Payano being with Al Haymon as well, if Jamie beats Kameda again Haymon will probably want him to fight Payano.”
“His profile and his name, on the back of this rematch, will escalate.”
While he understandably would not divulge their game plan, Coldwell insisted Jamie can take the result out of the judges’ hands this time around.
“Kameda’s going to be pushed a lot more in this fight, but not in a reckless manner,” he opined.
“He’s a very good counter puncher and when you’re coming at him, that’s when he’s comfortable. So we’re not going to be doing anything too reckless, and Jamie will be in a position to do more.
“We’re not planning on leaving it close and if all goes to plan, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jamie manages to pull off a stoppage late on.”
Coldwell also revealed McDonnell will soon move up to super-bantamweight, where the likes of Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton operate.
“Jamie might have one more fight at bantamweight [after the Kameda fight] he might not, because he’s very big at the weight,” he said.
“The plan was to have this fight and then go up to super-bantam but we’ll see how he handles this fight.
“The obvious one is someone like Scott Quigg, that’s the one Jamie’s been saying he’d love and that’d be a big fight back home.”
Jamie’s twin brother Gavin fights the night before when he defends his European super-bantamweight title against Jeremy Parodi at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
