Ndongeni stands tall in Istanbul despite short-notice defeat
Image: IBA
South Africa's fighting veteran, Xolisani Ndongeni, is a contented man who will not look back at his IBA Pro 7 fight with any regrets.
The 40-fight professional was called upon as a late replacement for Uzbek athlete Shohjahon Ergashev in a WBA Intercontinental junior welterweight title fight against Armenia's Hovhannes Bachkov at a prestigious International Boxing Association event in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The two-day event, which featured a handful of global superstars and was billed as the 'unveiling of IBA's bold new vision and the ushering in of boxing's Golden Era', included the likes of Tyson Fury, Terence Crawford, and many others.
There, in front of icons of the sport, Mzansi's veteran pushed his opponent — a 2020 Summer Olympics bronze medallist — for nine rounds before losing via TKO after his corner threw in the towel. It was an impressive feat considering that Ndongeni (33-7) only learnt of the fight a few days before the showpiece.
'The fight was good. Firstly, congratulations to Hovhannes (8-0) — he is a good boy, a good fighter,' said Ndongeni.
'You know, this fight was meant for me. I faced many challenges before it. Before I got news of the bout, I had the flu for a week, which impacted my training, as I stayed away from the gym for some time.
"Then I got a call from IBA saying there is a fight next week, and I thought, 'next week Saturday', as most fights are on Saturdays. Then I found out it was on a Wednesday.
"I asked, 'Who am I fighting?'
"They showed me the guy, and I said, 'Cool, let's go'.'
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Ad Loading
Bachkov is one of the fastest-rising stars in the world and is set to make a name for himself on the professional scene following a decorated amateur career.
'He is good, but you know, I've been around. I fought the likes of Devin Haney and Arnold Barboza Jr — I've faced good guys.
'The reason I took this fight was because I got to fight for the title that I was supposed to receive in March earlier this year, when I faced Puerto Rico's Nestor Bravo,' said Ndongeni, who beat the Puerto Rican in his home country.
'So when this fight came, and the shot at that same title was on the line, to me, it was God's doing. I needed my chance to lose the title, because I didn't receive it or the award in Puerto Rico. So I am grateful to God that I was able to fight for it and rather lose it inside the ring.'
Ndongeni and Bachkov kept fans inside the Rixos Tersane venue enthralled as the two warriors delivered a clinical display. The South African displayed a high-volume work rate, mixing body and head shots. Bachkov, by contrast, was more patient with his stick-and-jab combinations and selective with his punches.
Both athletes showed great composure and excellent head movement. But ultimately, it was the stoic Bachkov whose power and precision won the day after he rocked Ndongeni with a head shot that dropped the African warrior.
Ndongeni went down for a count and attempted to rise, but his experienced corner — led by renowned South African coach Sean Smith — had seen enough and threw in the towel, one round short of a scheduled ten-round championship contest.
'Yes, it was on a week's notice, but it's all good — it doesn't take away from the fighter,' said a gracious Ndongeni.
'He won the fight. He caught me with good punches — not so much the body shots, but the head shots. I got dizzy from those.
"When I took the count, I was about to get back up, and then I saw my coaches throw in the towel. I'm grateful to my team at the end of the day. It's good to have someone who looks out for you.
'If a coach doesn't care, he will let you fight on. At least I can say I live to fight another day. Coaches see things you can't always see in the ring, so salute to my corner and my coaches.
'South Africa, we did our best. We came, we fell short — but we live to fight another day. I believe I'm going to be a champion one day, again,' added Ndongeni, who has held multiple titles, including the IBO Intercontinental, WBF Intercontinental, WBA Africa, and World IBO championships.
Speaking at a glittering press conference and event before the IBA Pro Fight Night last week, IBA President Umar Kremlev highlighted the organisation's renewed vision and mission to open doors for amateur and professional boxers worldwide by empowering them to pursue their dreams — something that has not always been possible for many athletes.
Kremlev outlined plans to build a robust support ecosystem for fighters from all backgrounds — amateur, professional, and bare-knuckle.
'Our goal is to ensure every athlete knows that IBA is their boxing home. We must create opportunities for children so that they can develop positively. We want to help children establish a new future for themselves and their families,' said Kremlev, whose organisation has long been a powerhouse in the amateur boxing world.
'This is like Real Madrid — you go through the amateur ranks, you earn your stripes, and then, if you want to go professional, we will take care of you,' added Al Siesta, director of IBA Pro.
Kremlev also expressed his affection for Mzansi when asked about future plans in the Rainbow Nation.
'We have already hosted the Mandela Cup there in South Africa, and we also plan on staging an IBA Pro Night of Champions in South Africa,' he told Independent Media and MzansiMMA.
'We love South Africa very much. The African continent in general is a special place, and we have many talented boxers from there. A lot of events will be happening in Africa,' added Kremlev.
With this news, Ndongeni is excited about the IBA's renewed direction and believes South African boxers can only benefit from the organisation's ambitions.
'This doesn't come around every time, you know,' he said. 'Being in South Africa is sometimes difficult. We have a lot of talent, a lot of boxers — and a lot of good boxers who can be champions. But opportunities like this don't come to many of us.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
24-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
O'Connor takes Tour stage as Vingegaard's plans to unseat Pogacar fizzle
Ben O'Connor stormed to a sensational victory in Stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday, as Jonas Vingegaard's attempt to dethrone Tadej Pogacar imploded in spectacular fashion on the race's most brutal Alpine battleground. The Australian rider, eyes blazing with determination, launched a ferocious solo attack on the fearsome Col de la Loze and never looked back, thundering towards his second career Tour stage win, after his triumph in Tignes in 2021. 'I felt much better today just from the start. I was pretty active, and I think probably the point where you realise you could have a shot was the top of the (Col de la) Madeleine when Jonas and Pogi came across, and we're still with them over the top of the summit,' said O'Connor. Pogacar defended his crown with ice-cold precision, gaining 11 more seconds on Vingegaard and stretching his overall advantage to a commanding 4 minutes 26 seconds after taking second place. 'Today was brutal. Maybe the hardest stage I've ever done in the Tour,' admitted a drained Vingegaard after the finish. "YEEEEEEEESSSS, YEEEEEESSSSS" 🤩 #TDF2025 | @Continental_fr — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 24, 2025 'We had a big plan, you saw it, but I couldn't take a second on Tadej. The Tour isn't over, still.' Visma-Lease a Bike had come to the Alps with an all-in strategy for a stage lined with three monstrous climbs. But what could have been a bold masterstroke unravelled spectacularly. On the slopes of the 19.2km Col de la Madeleine, Sepp Kuss's searing acceleration left the top contenders chasing shadows. With Matteo Jorgenson already up the road in a breakaway, Vingegaard launched his move 5km from the summit, but Pogacar followed him with ease. Then came the puzzling twist. After a blistering descent, Vingegaard, who had said he was ready to risk his second place to try to win the Tour, suddenly eased up on the valley floor, inviting rivals to regroup and stripping his team's earlier aggression of any sting. 🎙 🇸🇮 @TamauPogi: « J'aurais aimé gagner l'étape mais la priorité est bien sûr le Maillot Jaune. » 💛 💛 L'interview du porteur du #MaillotJauneLCL ⤵️ 💛 #TDF2025 — Maillot Jaune LCL (@MaillotjauneLCL) July 24, 2025 Jorgenson, once the sacrificial pawn, dropped from the break and rejoined the group, only to be spat out again almost instantly. Up ahead, O'Connor sensed blood and struck with ruthless precision, leaving Einer Rubio gasping for air and balance with a savage attack 16km from the line on the lung-busting 26.4-km Col de la Loze, soaring to 2,304 metres above sea level. Rubio cracked in his wake, and the general classification favourites' hesitation sealed the Australian's day of glory. Behind him, Visma-Lease a Bike flogged the pace but barely clawed back a second. Then, inside the final 2km, Vingegaard made one last desperate thrust. Pogacar, seated and serene, absorbed it before unleashing a devastating counterpunch in the last 500 metres. In a blur of power, the Slovenian dropped Vingegaard, streaked past Rubio, and snatched a six-second bonus as he continued his march towards a fourth Tour title. German Florian Lipowitz kept his third place despite finishing behind Oscar Onley after his attempt to go solo in the final climb backfired. He still leads the British rider by 22 seconds going into the last mountain stage between Albertville and La Plagne.
IOL News
19-07-2025
- IOL News
Kevin Lerena on a Wembley mission to become South Africa's next heavyweight champion
KNOCKOUT KEVIN Lerena, in a file photo against Serhiy Radchenko in Pretoria. Tonight he fights for a heavyweight belt against Britain's Lawrence Okolie at Wembley. | Alexius van der Westhuizen KEVIN Lerena steps into the ring for his second ever heavyweight title bout when he squares up to Englishman Lawrence Okolie at the Wembley Stadium tonight. South Africa's boxing darling – the WBC bridgerweight champion – will be looking to do better than he did against Daniel Dubois back in 2022 when he was sent crashing on his backside on the canvas in the third round, having himself sent his adversary to the deck on two occasions in the first round. Prior to his departure to London, Lerena oozed confidence and promised to knock Okolie out so he can bring home the WBC silver heavyweight title. It is a mammoth task but should he be successful, he will put his name on a very short list of South Africans who have held world heavyweight titles. Lerena could become only the third South African to become a world champion at the top weight and will be following in the footsteps of the late Gerrie Coetze and the man he grew up admiring, Corrie Sanders. GERRIE COETZEE The late 'Boksburg Bomber' remains a legend of the sport long after he'd departed. And rightly so, for Coetzee was a trailblazer – not only for South Africa but Africa by becoming the first man from the continent to win the world heavyweight title. Back in 1983, he smashed Michael Dokes – knocking the American out in the 10th round with some clinical punching that had the likes of me thinking we could take up boxing. It was a case of 'third-time lucky' for Coetzee who had twice tried but failed to become champion of the world. You are not a true boxing fan if you are not aware of his fight with John Tate at a packed Loftus Versfeld in October of 1979 for the WBA title which he lost on points after 15 rounds. A year later he squared up to Mike Waver at the Sun City Super Bowl for the same belt following Tate's failed maiden defence. He suffered a 13th round TKO. The excitement of his crowning through that stellar victory over Dokes did not last too long as Coetzee got dethroned in his maiden title defence. I remember waking up in the wee hours of the morning to watch him fight Greg Page and getting bitterly disappointed as he got knocked in the eighth round. CORRIE SANDERS Like Coetzee, Sanders has also died – the man they called The Sniper having been a victim of the country's senseless crime after being shot by robbers in Brits back in 2012. His crowning as WBA champion remains one of heavyweight boxing's biggest shocks to this day. No one – save for his camp perhaps – had expected him to beat champion Wladimir Klitschko when the two clashed in Hanover, Germany back in 2003. His talents notwithstanding, Sanders had been pretty idle before the fight for the WBO title – the southpaw having been in the ring only twice for a combined three rounds in the two years prior to the fight. But he got the go-ahead and boy did he take advantage of it. It took him just two rounds to send the champion's lights out – Sanders dropping Klitschko on four occasions. No wonder then that Klitschko said years later that Sanders was the hardest puncher he's ever encountered. 'I've been in boxing for 25 years and I never fought anybody in this game that punched like Corrie Sanders,' he told Ring Magazine. Sanders never got to defend the title though as he vacated it because of a conflict between his promoter and the WBA. He challenged for the vacant WBC title and got beat by the older brother of Wladimir – Vitali Klitschko who knocked him out in the eighth round. Can Kevin Lerena add his name alongside these two tonight by beating Okolie?
TimesLIVE
17-07-2025
- TimesLIVE
Phumelela Cafu bids to end SA boxing's drought of ‘big name' glory
WBO junior-bantamweight champion Phumelela Cafu bids to push South African boxing back into the limelight when he takes on WBC counterpart Jesse Rodriguez in a unification bout in the US on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time). Rodriguez, a crafty southpaw who offloads his power shots at short range, is the best in the division at the moment and is the ticket Cafu needs to punch if he wants to score a long overdue shock South African victory. The last local fighter to topple a major name in world boxing was Simpiwe Vetyeka when he dethroned WBA featherweight kingpin Chris John in 2013, sending the Indonesian legend into retirement. Before that one had to go back another decade to when Corrie Sanders stunned Wladimir Klitschko with his speed and power to lift the WBO heavyweight title on a second round stoppage. Klitschko, widely considered heir apparent to Lennox Lewis at the time, went on to dominate the division. Amid those two wins across 22 years were several defeats — Phillip Ndou against American superstar Floyd Mayweather (2003), Silence Mabuza against Rafael Marquez of Mexico (2004), Moruti Mthalane and Jeffrey Mathebula against Filipino Nonito Donaire (2008 and 2012 respectively) and Thabiso Mchunu against Ukraine great Oleksandr Usyk (2016). Defeat has been the more common outcome in these big stage bouts. There were five losses from five attempts between late 1996 and 2001, with Mexican Ricardo Lopez accounting for two, beating Morgan Ndumo (1996) and Zolani Petelo (2001). Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines upstaged Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in 2001, Naseem Hamed had an easy night against Vuyani Bungu in 2000 and Phillip Holiday seldom looked comfortable against Sugar Shane Mosley in 1997. It was South Africa's own Sugar, Thulani 'Sugar Boy' Malinga, who scored one of the sensational victories of the 1990s when he edged Briton Nigel Benn by split decision in early 1996, but even he went down to two other superstars. Malinga lost a split decision to Chris Eubank, another British box office draw, in 1992 and was stopped in six rounds by Roy Jones junior in 1993. In early 1991 Brian Mitchell, holder of the WBA junior-lightweight title, drew with IBF champion Tony Lopez in a unification bout. He beat Lopez in a rematch later in the year with only the IBF belt at stake. Gerrie Coetzee scored arguably the highest profile win of the 1980s when he stopped Michael Dokes for the WBA heavyweight crown in 1983, when it counted as 50% of the championship. He was also impressive when destroying former world champion Leon Spinks in one round in 1979. Kevin Lerena takes on Lawrence Okolie in London, also on Saturday night, with the winner likely to be thrust into world heavyweight title contention. Victory for Lerena would give him the opportunity to fight for a spot on the list of South African giant slayers. Peter 'Terror' Mathebula lifted the WBA flyweight title in 1980, while Harold Volbrecht was stopped by hard-hitting WBA welterweight king Pipino Cuevas earlier that year. In 1973 Arnold Taylor scored his sensational 14th round knockout of Mexican Romeo Anaya to win the WBA bantamweight title, and in 1950 Vic Toweel ground down veteran Manuel Ortiz to land the undisputed world bantamweight crown. South African fans had to wait 23 years between the triumphs of Toweel and Taylor. The drought since Vetyeka's 2013 victory until now is the second-longest in South African boxing.
