Lehlohonolo Benedict Ledwaba (27 July 1971 – 2 July 2021) was a South African

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

who competed from 1990 to 2006, and held the

IBF The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) which sanctions professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Counci ...

super bantamweight title from 1999 to 2001. Ledwaba died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

on 2 July 2021, at age 49.

Professional career

Ledwaba turned pro in 1990 and in 1999 captured the vacant IBF super bantamweight title with a decision victory over

John Michael Johnson John Michael Johnson (born June 23, 1968, in San Antonio, Texas, USA) is a retired American bantamweight boxer He made his professional debut in 1986 and was a WBA bantamweight world champion Professional career Known as "Bam Bam," Johnson turn ...

. Ledwaba defended the belt 5 times before losing it to

Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. (; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He served as a Senator of the Phil ...

via TKO to earn Pacquiao his second world championship in two weight divisions. Ledwaba continued to fight, but has never challenged for a major title since the loss. He retired from boxing after his loss to Maxwell Awuku on 24 November 2006.

Professional boxing record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ledwaba, Lehlohonolo 1971 births 2021 deaths Bantamweight boxers International Boxing Federation champions Sportspeople from Soweto South African male boxers Super-bantamweight boxers Featherweight boxers Super-featherweight boxers World super-bantamweight boxing champions Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa