Vuyani ”the Beast” Bungu may have bitten off more than he can chew by accepting a fight against Lehlonohlo Ledwaba for the World Boxing Union (WBU) featherweight world title on July 27 at Carnival City.
The two, both former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-featherweight champions, are among the finest talents produced locally in the past 10 years and had they faced each other three years ago it would have been a super-fight of note.
It’s unlikely their meeting now will deliver the same level of competition.
Even though Ledwaba was rated as one of the best champions in the division until he lost his title last year, he quickly dropped right out of all the ratings — indicating the manipulation of world rankings.
The move to the featherweight division makes sense as Ledwaba was battling with weight in his past three defences of his crown. It makes little sense, however, for him to accept a WBU title fight. Given his previous status, and with the right promotion, he would easily land a fight against a top 10 contender in the heavier division, followed by a title shot at a more lucrative world title.
Bungu, on the other hand is perfect material for the lesser-recognised sanctioning body.
Although he won convincingly, he was visibly at the tail end of his career when he made the record 13th defence of his IBF junior-featherweight title against Victor Llerena in February 1999.
The WBU would be an ideal platform for Bungu to continue entertaining his many fans against less-dangerous opponents.