Leonard Bundu


Leonard Bundu is a Sierra Leone-born Italian former professional boxer. He has held multiple regional welterweight championships, including the European title twice between 2011 and 2016; the European Union title from 2009 to 2010; the Commonwealth title in 2014; and has challenged once for the WBA interim welterweight title in 2014. As an amateur, Bundu won a gold medal in the light-welterweight division at the 1997 Mediterranean Games; welterweight bronze at the 1999 World Championships; and represented Italy at the 2000 Olympics, where he reached the second round of the welterweight bracket.

Amateur career

Bundu won his first major amateur medal at the 1997 Mediterranean Games in Bari, winning gold in the light-welterweight division. This was followed up with bronze at the 1999 World Championships in Houston. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Bundu fought in the welterweight division, losing to Daniyar Munaytbasov in the second round. Bundu also represented his native Sierra Leone at the 2nd AIBA African 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Gaborone, where he won bronze in welterweight division.

Professional career

On 1 April 2005, Bundu won in his professional debut with a first-round knockout against Peter Gaspar. He would spend the next nine years fighting almost exclusively in his adoptive Italy, save for one outing in Germany. During this time Bundu would pick up many regional championships, including the vacant European Union welterweight title on 13 March 2009, in a unanimous decision over Frank Haroche Horta. This was bettered on 4 November 2011, when Bundu won the full European welterweight title in a rematch against Daniele Petrucci; their first fight for the vacant title, on 25 June 2011, ended in an eighth-round majority technical draw.
Bundu defended his European title six times, as well as winning the Commonwealth title against undefeated contender and decorated amateur Frankie Gavin. In their fight, on 1 August 2014, Bundu scored a surprise sixth-round knockdown with a hard body shot, and would go on to win by split decision. Later in the year, on 13 December, Bundu challenged unsuccessfully for his first major world championship in his first visit to the United States. Defending WBA interim titlist Keith Thurman, also an undefeated prospect at the time, knocked Bundu down in the first round, but Bundu showed his durability by going the full twelve-round distance with the feared puncher. In doing so, Bundu suffered his first professional loss via UD.
On 22 April 2016, Bundu won the vacant European welterweight title for a second time by stopping Jussi Koivula in nine rounds. Later that year, on 21 August, Bundu travelled to the US for a third time to face Errol Spence Jr., another undefeated prospect, in what was an eliminator for the IBF welterweight title. The first three rounds were fast-paced and competitive, with Bundu utilising his pressure fighting style and feints, although his punch output would slow in the fourth as Spence began using consistent combinations and lateral movement. In round six, Bundu was floored by a hard uppercut, but this was incorrectly deemed a push by the referee. Seconds later, Spence landed an uppercut–hook combination which left Bundu slumped on the canvas unconscious, in his first knockout loss. He was also stripped of his European welterweight title.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
37Loss33–2–2Errol Spence Jr.KO6, 2:0621 Aug 2016Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island, New York City, New York, US
36Win33–1–2Jussi KoivulaTKO9, 2:4022 Apr 2016Nelson Mandela Forum, Florence, ItalyWon vacant European welterweight title
35Win32–1–2Pablo MunguiaUD826 Jun 2015Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington, US
34Loss31–1–2Keith ThurmanUD1213 Dec 2014MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, USFor WBA interim welterweight title
33Win31–0–2Frankie Gavin121 Aug 2014Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, EnglandRetained European welterweight title;
Won Commonwealth welterweight title
32Win30–0–2Lee PurdyTKO12, 2:5314 Dec 2013ExCeL, London, EnglandRetained European welterweight title
31Win29–0–2Rafał JackiewiczKO11 6 Apr 2013Teatro Tendastrisce, Rome, ItalyRetained European welterweight title
30Win28–0–2Ismael El MassoudiKO1, 2:401 Dec 2012Palazzetto dello Sport, Rezzato, ItalyRetained European welterweight title
29Win27–0–2Stefano CastellucciTD5, 2:5514 Jul 2012Palasport Primo Carnera, Udine, ItalyRetained European welterweight title;
Unanimous TD after Bundu was cut from an accidental head clash
28Win26–0–2Antonio MoscatielloKO5, 2:0523 Mar 2012Palasport EIB Fiera, Brescia, ItalyRetained European welterweight title
27Win25–0–2Daniele PetrucciUD124 Nov 2011Nelson Mandela Forum, Florence, ItalyWon vacant European welterweight title
26Draw24–0–2Daniele PetrucciTD8 25 Jun 2011Foro Italico, Rome, ItalyFor vacant European welterweight title;
Majority TD after Bundu sustained eye swelling from an accidental head clash
25Win24–0–1Zoran CvekPTS625 Feb 2011Palazzetto dello Sport "Mario Mattioli", Florence, Italy
24Win23–0–1Moises CastroKO1 26 Nov 2010Palazzetto dello Sport, Rezzato, Italy
23Win22–0–1Ronny McFieldTD6 21 May 2010Centro Sportivo San Filippo, Brescia, ItalyUnanimous TD after Bundu was cut from an accidental head clash
22Win21–0–1Carlos Adán JerezTD5 19 Mar 2010Nelson Mandela Forum, Florence, ItalyWon vacant WBA Inter-Continental welterweight title;
Unanimous TD after Jerez was cut from an accidental head clash
21Win20–0–1Ronny McFieldTD7 18 Dec 2009PalaBianchini, Latina, ItalyUnanimous TD after Bundu was cut from an accidental head clash
20Win19–0–1Frank ShabaniUD1227 Jun 2009Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin, GermanyRetained European Union welterweight title
19Win18–0–1Frank Haroche HortaUD1213 Mar 2009Nelson Mandela Forum, Florence, ItalyWon vacant European Union welterweight title
18Win17–0–1Johannes FabriziusPTS621 Nov 2008Palazzetto dello Sport, Nuvolera, Italy
17Win16–0–1Laszlo KomjathiTKO5 24 Oct 2008Podenzano, Italy
16Win15–0–1Patrik HruskaPTS628 Aug 2008Lungolago Zanardelli, Toscolano-Maderno, Italy
15Win14–0–1Giammario GrasselliniTKO1 4 Mar 2008Nelson Mandela Forum, Florence, Italy
14Win13–0–1Gheorghe DanutPTS812 Dec 2007Rezzato, Italy
13Win12–0–1Vincenzo FinziTKO1, 2:4024 Aug 2007Lungolago Zanardelli, Toscolano-Maderno, ItalyRetained IBF Mediterranean welterweight title
12Draw11–0–1Luciano Abis3, 0:3715 Jun 2007PalaLido, Milan, ItalyFor vacant Italy welterweight title;
TD after Bundu was cut from an accidental head clash
11Win11–0Karim Netchaoui11 2 Mar 2007Nelson Mandela Forum, Florence, ItalyWon vacant IBF Mediterranean welterweight title
10Win10–0Volodymyr BorovskyyPTS821 Oct 2006Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Italy
9Win9–0Virgil MelegPTS622 Sep 2006Cortemaggiore, Italy
8Win8–0Attila KissPTS611 Aug 2006Toscolano-Maderno, Italy
7Win7–0Vincenzo FinziPTS612 May 2006Rezzato, Italy
6Win6–0Mugurel Sebe83 Apr 2006Rivarolo Canavese, Italy
5Win5–0Mārtiņš KukulisPTS610 Feb 2006Palazzetto dello Sport, Chiarbola, Trieste, Italy
4Win4–0Brett James67 Aug 2005Palasport Flaminio, Rimini, Italy
3Win3–0Antonio Taglialatela3 5 Jun 2005Piazza della Loggia, Brescia, Italy
2Win2–0Ferenc OlahKO1 16 Apr 2005PalaNorda, Bergamo, Italy
1Win1–0Peter Gaspar1, 2:081 Apr 2005Florence, Italy