Lovemore N'dou

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Lovemore Ndou

Statistics
Real name Lovemore N'dou
Nickname(s) "the Black Panther"
Rated at Light Welterweight
Nationality Flag of Australia Australian
Birth date August 16, 1971 (1971-08-16) (age 36)
Birth place Transvaal, South Africa
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 57
Wins 46
Wins by KO 31
Losses 10
Draws 1
No contests 0

Lovemore N'dou (born 16 August 1971 in Transvaal, South Africa) is an Australian based South African boxer.

He was the IBF world light welterweight champion, until he lost the title to Paul Malignaggi.

After a successful amateur career of 68 fights with 66 wins and 2 losses, where Ndou was a four-time South African champion in four consecutive years, N'dou made his professional debut in 1993 against Enoch Khuzwayo in Johannesburg, South Africa winning on a points decision.

In his 13th professional fight in August 1995, Ndou fought for the South African Super Featherweight Title against Mthobeli Mhlophe with the contest ending in a draw. After that bout Ndou left South Africa and migrated to settle in Australia beginning a run of 17 consecutive victories from May 1996 to June 2000 rising to a world WBC #2 ranking, before a loss in a 10 round unanimous points decision against former WBC International champion Guillermo Mosquera.

After the loss to Mosquera, Ndou lost motivation and fought rarely with only 3 fights in 2 years before heading to the U.S. for 3 fights during 2002 culminating in 2 losses.

Ndou won his first major professional title on November 29 2002 defeating Sarit Saeknaew by TKO to claim the IBF Pan Pacific Light Welterweight Title at Festival Hall in Melbourne. During 2003, Ndou made three successful defences of his IBF Pan Pacific Light Welterweight Title before an IBF World Light Welterweight Title bout against Sharmba Mitchell on February 7 2004 in Atlantic City, USA. Ndou lost the bout against Mitchell via a unanimous points decision.

Following the loss to Mitchell, Ndou returned to Australia to defend his IBF Pan Pacific Light Welterweight Title twice before heading to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA to fight Miguel Angel Cotto for the WBC International Light Welterweight Title and WBA Fedelatin Light Welterweight Title on May 8 2004 with Ndou again losing via a unanimous points decision. Ndou closed out 2004 retaining his IBF Pan Pacific Light Welterweight Title against Ruben Francisco Silva Diaz in Sydney.

Ndou began 2005 with a 12 rounds unanimous points loss to Junior Witter at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, USA for the Commonwealth (British Empire) Light Welterweight Title. Over the next 18 months following the loss to Witter, Ndou defended his IBF Pan Pacific Light Welterweight Title on four occasions to rise to the world IBF #1 Light Welterweight ranking at the start of 2007.

On February 4 2007 in Sydney, Ndou fought and defeated Naoufel Ben Rabah in an IBF World Light Welterweight Title Eliminator for the right to meet current title holder Ricky Hatton, after Hatton had won the title against Juan Urango in Las Vegas, USA two weeks earlier. Hatton however refused the IBF's demand that he fight Ndou for the IBF World Light Welterweight Title, instead scheduling a fight against Jose Luis Castillo. Following Hatton's decision, the IBF stripped Hatton of the IBF World Light Welterweight Title, awarding Ndou the title on February 12 2007. Ndou lost his first title defense on June 16 2007 against American Paul Malignaggi in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA.

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Preceded by
Ricky Hatton
vacated
IBF Light Welterweight Champion
12 Feb 2007–16 Jun 2007
Succeeded by
Paul Malignaggi