RING RETURN Nomeva, Mbenge back in boxing action
Former world champs have not fought for a while due to coronavirus restrictions
KwaBhaca-born boxer and former IBO lightweight boxing champion Xolisani Nomeva ” Ndongeni said he would consider quitting boxing if he loses to Sibusiso “Prince ” Dlomo in Soweto on Saturday.
Their eight-rounder will form part of the TLB Promotion bill at Klipspruit Sport Centre.
Ndongeni returns to the ring after he was dealt a big blow by the outbreak of coronavirus when a big tournament in Las Vegas, US he was to feature in was cancelled in April.
He was scheduled to face unbeaten Arnold Barboza Jnr in a junior welterweight clash on the undercard of the IBF, WBA and WBO bantamweight unification clash between Japanese Naoya Inoue and John Riel Casimero who is renown for ending Mdantsane boxer Zolani Tete’s world title reign.
With SA boxers yet to be permitted to compete abroad as the government is still navigating through Covid 19 restrictions, Ndongeni has been forced to keep active by taking on Dlomo.
This is the same situation facing his fellow Eastern Cape boxer Thulani Mbenge who is his stablemate at Sean Smith gymnasium in Johannesburg.
Mbenge of Mdantsane will attempt to redeem himself after losing the IBO welterweight belt last year when he takes on SAbased
Congolese Mardochee Kuvesa Katembo for the vacant ABU title.
Mbenge who was touted as the future major world champion until he was dethroned by German Sebastian Formella in July last year, has surprisingly not seen action since, fuelling rumours that all is not well with his promoter Golden Gloves Promotions.
GGP had initially promised to organise an immediate rematch against Formella in SA but somehow, those promises have fizzled out leaving Mbenge inactive until he was forced to accommodate the clash against Katembo under another promoter.
Ndongeni, a former IBO lightweight champion who will make his debut in the juniorwelterweight division said: “It is a known fact that I must beat Dlomo and I intend to do that nice and clean to prove that we are definitely not in the same league. I’ve never lost a fight in SA and Prince is definitely not the one to hand me a loss. I lost in America to Devin Haney, who is now a WBC lightweight champion ... imagine losing to Dlomo, who has been on the losing side for a very long time. I will have to consider my career if I lose to Dlomo.
“I am giving him the opportunity to shine and I am sure for him it feels like he’s fighting for a world title. He must be feeling like he’s won the Lotto just by getting inside the ring with me.
“Surely even his peers where he stays just can’t wait to see him inside the ring with me. Going the full eight rounds with me will be an achievement for Dlomo. That is why I want to punish him with every blow that I fire and I would be very much happy to see him give up and not be saved by the referee.”
Ndongeni added: “Dlomo can never put me down but I can put him on [his] pants. I have given him his first ever task, to be fit. But he can never be fitter than me and he will never outwork me in every department. Losing this fight could signal the end of my career because
then I will have nothing to offer to someone slightly better than Prince. I just cannot afford to lose. America is calling me.”
Ndongeni has 27 wins against one loss while Dlomo has 10 wins against 11 losses and a draw.