Ndongeni loses in Las Vegas

South Africa’s Xolisani Ndongeni lost on an eighth-round technical knockout against Arnold Barboza Jr from ElMonte, California in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight fight on Saturday night at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

Returning to action after 11 months, the 32-year-old Barboza (29-0; 11) was in control from the opening bell as he out-sped the 33-year-old Ndongeni (31-4; 18).

Ndongeni, a former South African and WBF lightweight and African Boxing Union junior welterweight champion, never got into the fight as the faster and stronger Barboza was in control throughout.

He scored with stiff right hands and jabs to the head and also left hooks to the body to dominate the South African.

Ndongeni never stopped trying but was stunned with a right uppercut in the seventh round and another two stiff right hands just before the bell.

Ndongeni's corner men instructed referee Raul Caiz Jr to stop the fight at the end of the eighth round when their man was taking too much punishment, after a one-sided bout.

This was Barboza’s first fight since signing with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions.

In Barboza’s last fight on 3 February last year, he won on a unanimous points decision against Jose Pedraza (29-5; 14), a former two-division world champion.