-by Lorenzo Masi-
Born in Sierra Leone in 1974, Leonard Bundu moved to Florence, Italy, in the early ’90 to reach his mother and to flee from the civil war that was inflaming the country.
After starting practice boxing he soon became a good amateur boxer under the guide of the master Alessandro Boncinelli, chief trainer of the Accademia Pugilistica Fiorentina, and obtained a place in the Italian boxing team for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Defeated at the second round of the tournament he stopped practice boxing.
In 2005 he restarted to train and fight as a pro collecting a series of victories. In 2011, undefeated, he won the European Welterweight crown against Daniele Petrucci. After the victory he defended the title in other six fight, the last against the almost ten years younger and, until that time undefeated, Frankie Gavin.
Now “The Lion” preparing his lifetime Las Vegas’ match for the World interim WBA crown, versus the young Welterweight prospect (b.1988) Keith “One Time” Thurman.
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ITALY. Florence, 28th October 2011. Leonard Bundu during the training in preparation of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown. -
ITALY. Florence, 6th October 2011. Leonard Bundu during the training in preparationof the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown. -
ITALY. Florence, 7th October 2011. Leonard Bundu during the training in preparation of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown. -
ITALY. Florence, 7th October 2011. Leonard Bundu during the training in preparation of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown. -
ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown, Leonard Bundu inside the locker room triyng to find right concetration to face the match. -
ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown. Mr. Loreni, Leonard Bundu's agent, bandages athlete's hands. -
ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown, Leonard Bundu wearing up his robe. -
ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown, Daniele Petrucci, the other pretender to the crown, approaching the ring together with his crew. -
009: ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown, Leonard Bundu and Daniele Petrucci fighting./ITALIA. Firenze, 4 novembre 2011. Mandela Forum, la sera dell'incontro valevole per il titolo europeo dei pesi welter. Leonard Bundu e Daniele Petrucci si affrontano sul ring. -
010: ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown, Leonard Bundu's sister watching the fight./ITALIA. Firenze, 4 novembre 2011. Mandela Forum, la sera dell'incontro valevole per il titolo europeo dei pesi welter. La sorella di Leonard Bundu mentre osserva l'incontro. -
011: ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown, Leonard Bundu and Daniele Petrucci fighting./ITALIA. Firenze, 4 novembre 2011. Mandela Forum, la sera dell'incontro valevole per il titolo europeo dei pesi welter. Leonard Bundu e Daniele Petrucci si affrontano sul ring. -
012: ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown. Leonard Bundu, new European Boxing Union Welter Weight Champion, is acclaimed by his fans./ITALIA. Firenze, 4 novembre 2011. Mandela Forum, la sera dell'incontro valevole per il titolo europeo dei pesi welter. Leonard Bundu, nuovo campione europeo della categoria viene acclamato dai suoi fans. -
013: ITALY. Florence, 4th November 2011. Mandela Forum, the night of the match for the EBU (European Boxing Union) Welter Weight crown. After the victory. Leonard Bundu's bandages./ITALIA. Firenze, 4 novembre 2011. Mandela Forum, la sera dell'incontro valevole per il titolo europeo dei pesi welter. Dopo la vittoria, le fasciature delle mani di Leonard Bundu. -
014: ITALY. Florence, 2nd December 2014. Leonard Bundu training to fight in Las Vegas against Keith Thurman for the WBA Welterweight interim World Title (Floyd Mayweather owns the title right now)./ITALIA. Firenze, 2 dicembre 2014. Leonard Bundu durante gli allenamenti per il combattimento di Las Vegas contro Keith Thurman, detentore del titolo mondiale WBA ad interim dei pesi welter (detentore assoluto del titolo Floyd Mayweather). -
015: ITALY. Florence, 21st November 2014. Leonard Bundu celebrates his forty birthday with a lecture in a secondary school./ITALIA. Firenze, 21 novembre 2014. Leonard Bundu celebra il suo quarantesimo compleanno tenendo una lezione presso una scuola superiore. -
016: ITALY. Florence, 2nd December 2014. Leonard Bundu training to fight in Las Vegas against Keith Thurman for the WBA Welterweight interim World Title (Floyd Mayweather owns the title right now)./ITALIA. Firenze, 2 dicembre 2014. Leonard Bundu durante gli allenamenti per il combattimento di Las Vegas contro Keith Thurman, detentore del titolo mondiale WBA ad interim dei pesi welter (detentore assoluto del titolo Floyd Mayweather). -
017: ITALY. Florence, 24th November 2014. Leonard Bundu training to fight in Las Vegas against Keith Thurman for the WBA Welterweight interim World Title (Floyd Mayweather owns the title right now)./ITALIA. Firenze, 24 novembre 2014. Leonard Bundu durante gli allenamenti per il combattimento di Las Vegas contro Keith Thurman, detentore del titolo mondiale WBA ad interim dei pesi welter (detentore assoluto del titolo Floyd Mayweather). -
018: ITALY. Florence, 2nd December 2014. Leonard Bundu have an interview with a local television./ITALIA. Firenze, 2 dicembre 2014. Leonard Bundu intervistato da una televisione locale. -
019: ITALY. Florence, 2nd December 2014. Leonard Bundu at his mother's home while watching an interview together with her. The athlete lives in a city near Rome with his wife and their two children where he usually trains. During the training for a fight he moves to Florence for about a month to work with his master Alessandro Boncinelli./ITALIA. Firenze, 2 dicembre 2014. Leonard Bundu guarda il video di un'intervista insieme a sua madre. Il pugile risiede non lontano da Roma con la moglie e i due figli. Durante la fase finale di preparazione ad un incontro si allena per circa un mese a Firenze con il suo maestro Alessandro Boncinelli. -
020: ITALY. Florence, 3rd December 2014. Leonard Bundu, together with his master Alessandro Boncinelli, at the Florence's airport to take the first flight to Las Vegas to fight against Keith Thurman for the WBA Welterweight interim World Title (Floyd Mayweather owns the title right now)./ITALIA. Firenze, 2 dicembre 2014. Leonard Bundu insieme all'allenatore Alessandro Boncinelli, pronti ad imbarcarsi sul volo per Las Vegas per l'incontro contro Keith Thurman, detentore del titolo mondiale WBA ad interim dei pesi welter (detentore assoluto del titolo Floyd Mayweather). -
021: ITALY. Florence, 2nd December 2014. Leonard Bundu at his mother's home. The athlete lives in a city near Rome with his wife and their two children where he usually trains. During the training for a fight he moves to Florence for about a month to work with his master Alessandro Boncinelli./ITALIA. Firenze, 2 dicembre 2014. Leonard Bundu a casa ddi sua madre. Il pugile risiede non lontano da Roma con la moglie e i due figli. Durante la fase finale di preparazione ad un incontro si allena per circa un mese a Firenze con il suo maestro Alessandro Boncinelli.
