Boxing: Ohei Kono to Defend WBA Title Against Koki Kameda in PBC on Spike Opener

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The opening bout on Friday’s Premier Boxing Champions card on Spike TV will be kickstarted by an alluring showdown between two of Japan’s best fighters. Though both Tokyo-based boxers have been inactive for almost a full year, the bout between Ohei Kono and Koki Kameda could wind up being one of the better duels of the entire year.

Kono will defend his WBA junior bantamweight title for the second time after capturing it by toppling Denkaosan Kaovichit via eighth-round knockout in March 2014. Kono (30-8-1, 13 KOs) fought to a draw against Norberto Jimenez last New Year’s Eve to retain it but he hasn’t fought since.

Kono briefly held the same title two years ago after he flattened Tepparith Kokietgym in the fourth on New Year’s Eve 2012, but he lost it on his first defense when he lost a majority decision to Liborio Solis the following May. Kono came up short in two previous world title bids as well; he lost to Nobuo Nashiro in September 2008 for the exact belt and then a year later he dropped a decision to Thomas Rojas for the WBC version of the 115-pound strap.

Kameda (33-1, 18 KOs) is among the greatest Japanese boxers of the past 30 years, having won the WBA junior flyweight title in 2006, the WBC flyweight championship in 2009 and the WBA bantamweight crown a year later. Kameda defended the WBA title eight times before dropping down to junior bantam last November. He is the only Japanese boxer to have held a world title in three different weight classes and if he’s successful on Friday, he’ll extend that history by winning one in a fourth division.

The only blemish on Kameda’s professional ledger is a majority decision loss to all-time great flyweight Pongsaklek Wongjongkam -- a surefire Hall of Famer -- in March 2010.

The PBC on Spike event is anchored by an intriguing light heavyweight battle between Andrzej Fonfara (27-3, 16 KOs) and former WBO 175-pound champ Nathan Cleverly (29-2, 15 KOs).

The undercard will feature unbeaten prospect Eddie Ramirez (10-0, 7 KOs) taking on Ammeth Diaz (32-12, 23 KOs) in an eight-round super lightweight bout; Patrick Syzmanski (14-0, 9 KOs) against Richard Gutierrez (28-16-1, 17 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight battle; Jose Quezada (7-0,5 KOs) versus Moises Rios (5-3, 4 KOs) in a six round lightweight bout; Josh Hernandez (1-0, 1 KO) taking on Anthony Crowder (0-1) in a four-round super featherweight contest and super middleweight Ronald Hearns (28-5, 22 KOs) and welterweight Alex Martin (9-0, 5 KOs) in action against opponents still to be named.

The telecast will air live on Spike from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago starting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Tickets are still available.