Tiff leaves Nomeva high and dry – again
ONCE again Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni is caught up in a promotional tiff, and this time it has cost him a fight in Ghana.
Ndongeni was to challenge for the IBO lightweight title he relinquished to Ghanaian Emmanuel Tagoe on August 16.
But negotiations between his promoter, Golden Gloves Promotions boss Rodney Berman, and Tagoe’s promoters broke down, leaving Ndongeni out in the cold again.
Ndongeni, whose last fight was in November last year, saw another ring return slipping away when a fight he was set to headline in Stellenbosch was cancelled at the 11thhour. This was because promoter Mzoli Tempi failed to come up with funds for the tournament.
A livid Berman then decided to slot him into a July 23 date against veteran Patrick Malinga.
But that fight also fell through when Malinga accepted a challenge in Russia against unbeaten Roman Andreev this Thursday.
Berman then negotiated for the KwaBhaca-born, East London-bred boxer to face Tagoe in an attempt to snatch his former title back.
Berman confirmed that Ndongeni would no longer fight in Ghana.
“I will never work with that promotional outfit again,” said Berman.
Now Ndongeni has been rescheduled onto the July 23 tournament, which will feature his stablemate at Colin Nathan gymnasium, Deejay Kriel, challenging Filipino Dexter Alimento for the WBC international mini-flyweight title.
Ndongeni’s opponent is yet to be revealed, even though the fight is just a few weeks away.
He confirmed that he still did not know who his opponent would be.
“I am just training hard as usual but I still do not know who I will fight,” he said.
“I am just crossing fingers that the fight comes through.”
Ndongeni is arguably the biggest crowd-puller in the country, with his fights in East London – where he last fought in April last year – drawing a full house.
Unbeaten in 22 bouts, Ndongeni’s ring achievements saw him being voted Boxing SA Boxer of the Year in the national boxing awards held in January.