Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni lost his first fight in January after going 25 fights unbeaten. Picture: Leon SadikiXolisani “Nomeva” NdongeniDespite losing on points to American Devin Haney in a 10-round matchThis comes after life handed him a string of knockouts outside of the ring, leaving his detractors questioning if he still has what it takes to go back to the square jungle called a boxing ring.
At one point, he was on the verge of giving up. He moved back to his family home in Mount Frere in the Eastern Cape and s Despite the cancelled 2017 fight, he won three other fights in 2017 and last year for a 25-0 record, with 13 victories coming via the short route – knockouts. The singing and cheering that usually comes with Ndongeni’s flamboyant entrances into the ring in front of his home crowd was absent in Louisiana in the US – he was facing a crowd favourite.