MANILA, Philippines — South African Lehlo Ledwaba, the former IBF super-bantamweight champion who opened for Manny Pacquiao the door to greatness, passed away yesterday due to COVID-19. He was 49.
Ledwaba took Pacquiao as a last-minute challenger at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2001, and was knocked out in the sixth round. The victory introduced Pacquiao to the world.
Ledwaba, who always fought hard, had a 36-6-1 record as a pro. His career lasted from 1990 to 2006.
Pacquiao, 42, was set to fly to Los Angeles last night to train for his title unification fight against Errol Spence Jr. on Aug. 21 in Las Vegas.