One of boxing’s biggest myths is that fighters in lighter weight classes are light on power. Kohei Kono and Koki Kameda became the latest little guys to dispel that myth.
12 Rounds of Christmas - Round 9
Slugging it out for 12 rounds in Chicago on October 16, the Japanese natives ripped hundreds of power shots to the head and body while simultaneously treating defense like it was radioactive. Most impressively, Kohei Kono and Koki Kameda only seemed to get stronger as the 115-pound title fight dragged on.
Take the ninth round: Both fighters came out of the corner throwing head shots, and after Kono was docked a point for pushing Kameda’s head down a minute into the stanza, Kameda staggered his opponent with a big left hook.
Kono briefly clenched to make sure his feet were firmly underneath him, and from there the two resumed their attack on one another, unleashing punches in bursts from both range and in close. They not only sustained the high-volume pace for the remainder of the round, which Kameda won on all three cards, but they kept it up for the duration of the fight, which Kono won by unanimous decision.
When it was over, in addition to displaying the kind of remarkable stamina usually associated with 115-pound fighters, the 5-foot-5 countrymen proved that power absolutely can come in small packages.
For a full recap of Kono vs Kameda, visit our fight page. And to view the entire 12 Rounds of Christmas series, head over to our video page.
Kohei Kono, left, and Koki Kameda blasted each other for 12 rounds in a high-action, 115-pound brawl.
