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Boxing: Leo’s plans include more title belts
Albuquerque native Angelo Leo walks to a neutral corner after dropping Luis Alberto Lopez with a crushing left hook in the 10th round of an IBF world featherweight title fight on a Top Rank, Inc., boxing card at Tingley Coliseum on Aug. 10. Leo is scheduled to defend his title on Saturday against Tomoki Kameda in Kameda’s hometown of Osaka, Japan.
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Albuquerque native Angelo Leo has accepted delivery of his International Boxing Federation featherweight world championship title belt at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it’s almost as big as he is. It may not weigh 126 pounds, but it’s hefty.
Heftier still are his plans for not merely keeping it, but adding to his collection.
“I want to unify the division,” Leo said during an interview on ESPN’s telecast of a Top Rank boxing card on Aug. 17, a week after his sensational victory by 10th-round knockout of now former IBF champion Luis Alberto “Venado” Lopez at Tingley Coliseum.
ROAD RAGE 😤
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 11, 2024
THE HOMETOWN KID PUT VENADO TO SLEEP. pic.twitter.com/kLpIYbQ201
“My goal in boxing is to win world titles. Whether it’s for the WBO, WBA or WBC, we’re ready for whoever.”
And, yes, a return to Albuquerque is in his plans, as well as those of Top Rank, which promoted the Aug. 10 card at Tingley.
In advance of that show, Top Rank signed Leo to a three-fight contract but with options to be exercised (or not) by the promoter.
Top Rank clearly intends to exercise its option. Top Rank publicist Evan Korn said via email that it’s highly probable Leo will defend his title in Albuquerque in early 2025. “Nothing concrete yet,” he said.
Leo (25-1, 12 knockouts) said he’d be willing to give Lopez a rematch, but he seemed far more interested in a title-unification bout against either WBO champion Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) or WBC champion Rey Vargas (36-1-1, 22 KOs).
He didn’t mention WBA champion Nick Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs), perhaps because Ball has a title defense scheduled in October against Ronny Rios (34-4, 17 KOs) in Ball’s native England.
An Espinoza fight likely would be the easiest to make, since Espinoza is a Top Rank contract fighter. Vargas is promoted by Premier Boxing Champions.
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Leo, though, said he has a particular interest in the WBC belt held by Vargas.
“I’ve always wanted the WBC (title), so I think Rey Vargas would be great, too.”
Neither Espinoza nor Vargas has a fight scheduled.
Espinoza last fought on June 21, defeating Sergio Chirino Sanchez by fourth-round TKO in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Vargas last fought on March 8, fighting to a draw with Ball, the WBA champion, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
