clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Errol Spence Jr. set to face Leonard Bundu on August 21st in IBF eliminator

The winner becomes the mandatory challenger for the winner of Kell Brook vs. Jessie Vargas, which takes place on September 3rd.

Elsa/Getty Images

With Konstantin Ponomarev out of commission due to a hand injury, the IBF recently ordered his previously-planned foe, Errol Spence Jr., to face veteran Leonard Bundu for a crack at the winner of Kell Brook vs. Jessie Vargas. Despite an abridged negotiation period, the two have reached a deal to fight on August 21st at a location to be determined.

Spence (20-0, 17 KO) has firmly established himself as the welterweight division’s best prospect with seven consecutive stoppage wins. His last bout saw him knock out Chris Algieri in five, a feat that Ruslan Provodnikov, Manny Pacquiao, and Amir Khan all failed to accomplish.

He should be a comfortable favorite over Bundu (33-1-2, 12 KO), who was recently tabbed to defend his EBU title against Paulie Malignaggi before that fell through. The forty-one-year-old Italian has won two get-well fights since being dropped and swept on the cards by Keith Thurman back in 2014.

A bit of a step sideways for Spence, but it’s a mandated step sideways, and stopping someone Thurman couldn’t finish would be a solid feather in his cap.

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bad Left Hook Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your global boxing news from Bad Left Hook