It's rare for a boxing family to be looking at 3 simultaneous champions but this week that's a real possibility for the Japanese Kameda family as middle child Daiki Kameda (28-3, 18) attempts to claim the vacant IBF Super Flyweight title taking on former champion Rodrigo Guerrero (19-4-1, 12).
Kameda, you younger brother of Koki-the current WBA Bantamweight champion, and older broher of Tomoki-the current WBO Bantamweight champion, has seen both of his brother's having title success in recent weeks and will now be looking to join them as he attempts to become just the 3rd IBF champion in Japanese boxing history.
Although Daiki is a former WBA Flyweight champion he is widely viewed as the most limited of the 3 fighting brothers. He lacks the counter punching of both of his brothers and the boxing brain and whilst still a decent fighter in his own right he's certainly helped by having the name "Kameda".
In terms of his style the Japanese fighter fighter is a limited, he tends to work hard yet always manages to make fights difficult for himself at the world level. Whilst he holds wins over the likes of Denkaosan Kaovichit, Takefumi Sakata and Silvio Olteanu it's difficult to say that he actually proved to be their superior in the fights and was arguably lucky in all 3.
Whilst Daiki may go in to the fight as the favourite due to home field advantage his Mexican opponent Guerrero will not feel as if it's anything he's not experienced before.
Despite being a Mexican based in Mexico city many of Guerrero's best performances have come outside of his homeland. The first of those was a 12 round decision loss to Vic Darchinyan, a battle in which Guerrero impressed despite being widely out pointed, soon after he was controversially beaten in the US by Raul Martinez and most recently he traveled to Canada and stopped Sebastien Gauthier.
Although not the most skilled fighter on the planet Guerrero is a nightmare for anyone with his toughness, work-rate and in your face style. Unless he's fighting a genuinely top tier fighter he will give a hard fight to anyone as he attempts to out to out tough and out work opponents, as he did in eye catching fashion to Gauthier late last year.
On a neutral venue I'd have had to take Guerrero taking a decision over Kameda quite comfortably based on his aggressive work rate, never say die attitude and general skills. In Japan however Kameda will certainly have things stacked in his favour with the crowd on his side and this may be the difference maker come fight time with the judges. Although the "3 wise men" will try to be fair sometimes it's difficult, especially when there is a few thousand screaming fans going crazy when ever their guy throws a punch, this is a real possibility here and if it occurs then Kameda will do enough to get the nod despite the views of those watching around the world on TBS.
Prediction-Kameda SD12 (controversially)
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