WBU Featherweight world champion wounded in hijacking

<br>JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) _ Cassius Baloyi, the featherweight champion of the World Boxing Union, underwent surgery Wednesday after being shot in the leg during an attempted carjacking, police

Wednesday, May 16th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) _ Cassius Baloyi, the featherweight champion of the World Boxing Union, underwent surgery Wednesday after being shot in the leg during an attempted carjacking, police said.

Baloyi was in stable condition, Sgt. Amanda Roestoff said.

Three armed men fatally shot a man Tuesday evening sitting in a car parked about 10 meters (yards) from Baloyi's car.

The men then approached Baloyi, who was sitting in his parked BMW, forced him out, shot him in the leg, then fled without taking any cars, police said. A male companion was with Baloyi in the car, but police haven't been able to find him. No arrests had been made Wednesday.

The injury means Baloyi, 26, won't be able to defend his title against Argentina's Justo Martinez June 2 in Brakpan near Johannesburg as planned.

Wallied Solomons, WBU chief executive officer, said he was shocked by the attack.