Boxing: Hamed may fight Bungu this year

NASEEM HAMED'S summer agenda could be filled by the South Africa fighter, Vuyani Bungu.

Riath Hamed, the Sheffield boxer's's brother and business manager, is in talks with Bungu's promoter, Rodney Burman, over a World Boxing Organisation featherweight title defence in South Africa or America, possibly in July.

Both Hamed and Bungu are contractually tied to the American cable network Home Box Office, so television politics would not hinder negotiations. Hamed must first overcome the challenge of Scarborough's Paul Ingle in Manchester on 10 April, a bill which could include Bungu - described by Burman as South Africa's greatest fighter - involved on the undercard.

Bungu's statistics back Burman's assessment. He has just successfully defended his IBF super-bantamweight title for the 13th time but is soon to move up to the nine-stone division. The 31-year-old said: "I've been waiting for the opportunity to fight Naseem for the last two years. It would be the fight of my life."

Burman yesterday unveiled his new Golden Fist organisation, which will be the United Kingdom-based arm of the South African's Golden Glove Company.

Golden Fist will be run in this country by Dave Lewis, who for 10 years worked for the promoter Frank Warren. Its first promotion will be on 1 April at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre, when the Midlander Robert Norton will challenge South Africa's Jacob Mofokeng for the World Boxing Union cruiserweight crown. The show will also include Bobby Vanzie's British lightweight title defence against Anthony Campbell, and a fight for the women's champion Jane Couch.