24 years ago

Date: 11th March 2000

Venue: Olympia, Kensington, London

Title: WBO World Featherweight Title

Promoter: Matchroom Boxing & Cedric Kushner Productions

Tv: HBO World Championship Boxing & Sky Sports

Naseem Hamed
( 33 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 126 lbs

Vuyani Bungu
( 37 - 2 - 0 )
Weight: 125½ lbs

On Saturday, March 11, 2000, Naseem Hamed took on Vuyani Bungu in a fight held at Olympia, Kensington, London, England. The bout, billed as "Capital Punishment," was promoted by Matchroom Boxing & Cedric Kushner Productions and contested for the WBO and Lineal featherweight championships. Hamed, hailing from Sheffield, England, entered the fight with an undefeated record of 33-0-0, while Bungu, from Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, South Africa, held a record of 37-2-0. Both fighters weighed in under the featherweight limit, with Hamed at 126 lbs and Bungu at 125½ lbs.

The fight began with Hamed asserting his dominance early, showcasing his superior reflexes, power, and overall boxing ability. Bungu tried to be aggressive, adopting a slouched stance in an attempt to outbox the highly unorthodox Hamed. Despite his efforts, Hamed easily won the first three rounds, landing a mixture of jabs and power punches that kept Bungu at bay.

In the fourth round, Hamed continued to control the fight. Bungu occasionally landed some good shots, but they did not appear to have any significant effect on Hamed. The turning point came when Hamed landed a powerful left hand that dropped Bungu.

Bungu struggled to get back on his feet, but he was unable to beat referee Joe Cortez's 10 count. As a result, Hamed was declared the winner by knockout at 1:38 of the fourth round. This victory marked Hamed's 14th successful defense of the WBO World Featherweight Title.