Jamie McDonnell slams American 'experts' who scored fight for Tomoki Kameda
Tuesday 8 September 2015 15:13, UK
Jamie McDonnell has rubbished the American 'experts' who scored Sunday's WBA world bantamweight title defence in favour of challenger Tomoki Kameda.
The 29-year-old from Doncaster (27-2-1-KO12) put on an exceptional performance on his return to Texas - bettering May's points victory over the Japanese and scoring a final-round knockdown.
McDonnell and his trainer Dave Coldwell were told just after the final bell that American television had Kameda winning the fight comfortably and were relieved when the judges handed a 115-112 116-111 117-110 victory to the Englishman.
McDonnell told Sky Sports: "I don't know what fight they were watching. I honestly thought I smashed him to bits. I might have given a couple of the first four but apart from that, I wouldn't have given him anything.
"Obviously I dropped him in the last, too, so that's a 10-8. I don't know what fight they were watching. I haven't watched it back - I'm just going off me being in there.
"I must have hit him with 50 jabs clean. I got to him every round. He didn't catch me with much - a couple of big shots here and there but apart from that, I schooled him.
"My plan was to stop him. I wanted to make a statement. The first fight could've gone either way. I hold my hands up. I thought I won the fight easily but I wanted the stoppage. People ask why I went back and it's because I wanted to do the job on him."
Coldwell agreed with his fighter's assessment and was startled at suggestions McDonnell may have lost his title.
"There's no way on this earth. They were even on about it being wide. I thought when the final bell went that we'd won it but then in the ring, somebody told me American TV had Kameda winning.
"He basically followed the game plan to the letter. When Kameda wants to come forward, drop off and make him fall short. Dominate with the jab and once comfortable, move the head going forward.
"I'd have liked him to square him off a little bit more but apart from that, he carried out the game plan. I also told him to whack him to the body and in round three, he let a few go. If you whack Kameda to the body, it slows him down and stops him wanting to engage.
"He boxed how I wanted him to box. Every time he came back and I asked him to do it, he went out and did it. We said coming out here we didn't want to nick it - we wanted to dominate."
With McDonnell's status as a world champion further cemented, he can now look forward to more lucrative bouts but remains undecided on whether to seek unification fights with Shinsuke Yamanaka or Juan Carlos Payano at bantamweight or step up to face the likes of fellow Brit Scott Quigg at super-bantamweight.
He said: "Any fight with any champion. As long as it's a big fight with a big pay day. Yamanaka will do. Payano will do. I'm going to go away for two weeks and then come back and assess it.
"We've been talking about moving up. I just want to keep fighting in America. I'm living the dream. If Eddie wants to put me on in England, he can but I'm sure they want to put me on out in the States - that's where the money is.
"I'd probably fight Scott Quigg. The fight is easier to make [than the Carl Frampton fight] and it's a great fight. If we move up, hopefully that will be on the agenda."
Coldwell said: "A lot of people have asked me about this, saying Jamie should be fighting at home. Realistically, he's a bantamweight world champion and they don't get paid the same amount of money as welters and light-middles.
I'd probably fight Scott Quigg. The fight is easier to make [than the Carl Frampton fight] and it's a great fight. If we move up, hopefully that will be on the agenda.
"Over there, he's getting paid more than he's going to be earning here. It's not a case of pulling out the cheque book and bringing the champions over. You just can't compete. These belts are lovely but they don't pay the bills.
"When you've got a title belt, that's when you have to cash in - because when you haven't got a title, you get paid peanuts. The difference in financial compensation for fighting drops and they get a massive shock. That's how boxing works.
"He's only 29 but he isn't going to be boxing forever and has a family to support. While he's champion, he wants the big fights for the profile but also the big money. He's not bothered where he fights - he wants to secure his family's lifestyle. Every man on the planet wants that.
"If the biggest pay days are in America, he'll take those pay days."
