Couldn't make weight on Friday.
Couldn't make the ring on Saturday.
Tomoki "El Mexicanito" Kameda's world title shot in Las Vegas is OFF — called off on fight morning after Brandon "The Heartbreaker" Figueroa fell ill.
Figueroa had already lost his WBA featherweight title on the scales, coming in at 127.4 lb — 1.4 lb over the limit. He then skipped the ceremonial weigh-in.
Kameda? On weight, first try.
To keep the fight safe, Figueroa had to weigh in again at 9am on fight day, no more than 12 lb over the limit. Japan's Sports Hochi reports that neither Figueroa nor anyone from his team turned up.
Instead, a message hit Kameda's phone at 5:40am. Fight off.
Illness happens. We get it.
But you can't blame the man for being angry.
"I think he has failed as a professional," Kameda told Sports Hochi. "We spent a huge amount of money, went away to camp, and came here to fight with our lives on the line."
He's expected to be paid in full. But as he put it: "It's not about the money."
Months of work, including a camp in Mexico trading rounds with Emanuel Navarrete — yes, THAT Navarrete — and nobody to hit.
Third world title shot. Zero punches thrown.
Now the good news.
The WBA featherweight belt is vacant, and Kameda (42-5, 23 KOs) says the WBA and the promoter have promised him priority for the next title fight.
And with Naoya Inoue announcing his move up to featherweight, that vacant belt just got a whole lot more interesting.
"This is not the end," Kameda wrote on Instagram. "I will definitely grab the world champion's belt."
El Mexicanito isn't going anywhere.
STAY TUNED !
Art: Premier Boxing Champions
#VSPPromotions #Boxing #KamedaFigueroa
