Boxing

 

Where does Ledwaba go from here?

Colin Nathan

24.01 - After a long successfull career as a three time "world" champion and still being the current WBU Featherweight champion, what is next for the fighter many South African fight fans call "Hand of Stone" Lehlohononlo Ledwaba. At the age of 32 and a lack of activity in the last two years, it is still a mystery what remains of a great South African boxing career. His introduction to the professional fight game started in 1990, with a 4th round stoppage of Ephraim Madi and then, under the Mike Segal promotions banner won the vacant S.A. jnr featherweight title with a stoppage over the talented Ncedile Siko.

His first "world" title (WBU) opportunity came too under the Mike Segal boxing Promotions banner but this was at bantamweight, it was a successful venture that made him pick up the title with a points victory over the under-rated Cruz Carbajal who very recently stopped the highly respected Danny Romero. After one defence of the WBU title he vacated and made a few more defence of his Aouth African jnr feather title. After a long spell with Mike Segal, he decided to go to the most successfull boxing promoter in South African boxing history, Rodney Berman. He then eventually fought for the vacant IBF jnr featherweight title, vacated by another South African Vuyani Bungu, against John Michael Johnson (former WBA bantamweight champion) and won a well derserved decision.

After five successfull defences and really looking like a top ten pound for pound fighter his world came crashing down on him when he ran into the awesome southpaw and, then at the time, the former WBC flyweight champion Manny Pacquiao, and got a boxing lesson of his life when surrendering the title by way of TKO in 6 one sided rounds. All of a sudden people dropped him like a hot potatoe. He remained in-active for 14 months but decided to make a comeback after being out of the ring for 19 months. The fight was contested for the vacant WBU featherweight title, and was one of the dynamic contests for the year 2002 and is up for nomination as fight of the year in next weeks South African Boxing Awards for 2002. It was a closely contested fight but Ledwaba won and deserved the decision. That was 6 months ago. The question is, whats next? There has been nothing of date set for him to defend his title, and who is the next opponent for him, time is running out.

If one was to break down the division, the IBO: Naseem Hamed, WBA: Derrick Gainer, WBC: Erik Morales, the IBF is being contested for this weekend, where does Ledwaba fit into all of this, sure he can make some money out of the WBU title but he really can not compete with the top dogs.

Lets hope that he can finish on a high note and close down a brilliant career.

Time will tell, we all wait in suspense.

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