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Saturday,
March 11 Hamed makes quick work of 37-3 challenger Associated Press LONDON -- Britain's Naseem Hamed successfully defended his WBO featherweight title for the 14th time, stopping former IBF super bantamweight champion Vuyani Bungu of South Africa in the fourth round Saturday. After lining up the knockout punch with a right jab, the left-hander landed a big left hand flush on Bungu's chin to end the fight at 1:38 of the fourth round. Hamed is unbeaten in 34 fights and rang up his 30th knockout. Bungu, stopped for the first time in 40 fights, defended the super-bantamweight title 13 times before stepping up to fight Hamed. "That was a stunning knockout," Hamed said. "Nobody had taken him out. He got stretched tonight. "Now I would love to fight (WBC and WBO super-bantamweight champion) Erik Morales." It was a result Hamed needed after a string of outings in America that was not particularly impressive. Two of his last three wins had gone the distance and the other went to the 11th round. HBO boxing executive Lou DiBella, who was at ringside for the fight, praised Hamed for returning to his best form. "That was a great performance by a great fighter. He took out a great fighter in four rounds," DiBella said. "You saw the real Naseem Hamed tonight. He dismantled tonight a terrific fighter who had not lost in eight years and was one of the finest 120-pound fighters I have ever seen. "Morales and (Marco Antonio) Barrera will have to be concerned after what they saw tonight that they might end up (staring) up at the ceiling." Before the fight at Olympia, the flamboyant Hamed was carried toward the ring on a platform high above the crowd before making his trademark somersault over the top rope. Then he set about dismantling the impressive defense of Bungu, who entered the fight 37-2 and hadn't been beaten in eight years. Hamed staggered Bungu with a big right hand in the middle of the first round but, with his gloves down by his waist, took a right hook on the chin near the end of the round. In the second round, Hamed worked well to the body against his taller opponent and pushed his opponent back while staying out of trouble. The champion rocked Bungu with a big left hand 20 seconds from the end of round three and the South African went back to his corner with a cut above the left eye. The champion remained in control and a left hand put Bungu down and out in the fourth, Hamed celebrating with a handspring almost before referee Joe Cortez had finished the count. On the undercard, American Mickey Ward took the WBU light welterweight title from Britain's Shea Neary with an eight-round knockout. |
