Today in History: Vuyani Bhungu wins the IBF world champion title
He came from nowhere to stun Kennedy McKinney and capture the IBF junior featherweight crown in 1994.
Vuyani Bungu, popularly known as ‘The Beast’, is a former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 2005.
He held the IBF junior featherweight title from 1994 to 1999, and the IBO featherweight title from 2004 to 2005.
On 20 August 1994, after only 12 rounds, Bungu won the Super Bantamweight Title with a shocking upset victory over Kennedy McKinney of the United States of America, in a fight named 1994 Ring Magazine Upset of the Year, at the Carousel, near Hammanskraal.
Bungu defended the title an impressive 13 times before relinquishing the belt in 2000 to move up to the featherweight division.
Like many of his countrymen, Bungu came from an inauspicious beginning; he first became interested in boxing in 1978, initially training in a room at school with limited equipment.
Bungu turned professional in 1987, reeling off 13 wins before being defeated by the more experienced Fransie Badenhorst in a national title fight in 1989.
The loss was avenged nine months later and he stayed active, retaining his national title on three occasions before travelling to Italy, where he met future featherweight titleholder Freddie Norwood on the undercard of Welcome Ncita.
Bungu, who is now 49, is married with three daughters. He said he did well financially out of boxing and remains involved in boxing as a trainer.
Information sourced from: South African History Online.
