Confusion over the number of rounds in Xolisani Ndongeni’s bout conspired to hand him a ninth-round stoppage loss against Hovhannes Bachkov at Rixos Tersane in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday.
Ndongeni had signed to face the Armenian in an eight-round International Boxing Association Pro junior welterweight title fight but the fight was extended by two rounds without his knowledge.
Accompanied by a new team led by Sean Smith after his Duncan Village childhood mentor Mzamo “Chief” Njekanye was left behind, the KwaBhaca-born boxer took the fight at short notice after Bachkov’s original opponent, Shohjahon Ergashev, withdrew due to a training injury.
But the short notice appeared to have little effect on the 35-year-old as he held his own against the unbeaten former Olympic silver medallist.
Though he was nearly stopped in the third round when Bachkov trapped him on the ropes and rained down big punches, with Smith ready to throw in the towel, Ndongeni showed his resilience as he stormed back into the fight in subsequent rounds.
The bout formed part of the IBA’s festivities, including a major media briefing about the world amateur body’s programmes after it was stripped of its recognition by the International Olympic Committee to oversee boxing in the last two Games.
With boxing luminaries, including former world unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former two-division undisputed junior welterweight and welterweight king Terence Crawford, in attendance, Ndongeni raised the SA flag with aplomb as he matched the 32-year-old punch for punch in a highly competitive clash.
Digging into his wealth of experience amassed from 40 fights, Ndongeni made his seven-fight novice foe work every second of each round.
Warming up to the action as the rounds progressed, Bachkov again dominated round six, jolting Ndongeni with stinging short punches punctuated by body shots.
The Duncan Village boxing-bred fighter fought back with gusto and refused to wilt under the Armenian’s onslaught, turning the bout into a see-saw affair.
Sensing he needed to make a big statement, Ndongeni came out for the eighth thinking it was the last round and virtually emptied the bucket.
Throwing shots incessantly, Ndongeni denied the Armenian the chance to return fire, forcing him to cover up for the majority of the round.
However, the SA fighter appeared stunned when the sound of the bell did not signal the end of the fight, having expended all his energy.
A weary-looking Ndongeni came out for the ninth round fighting for survival.
Two thumping shots by Bachkov dropped Ndongeni to his knees as Smith tossed in the towel with the referee waving the fight over.
Despite the loss, Ndongeni received rave reviews for his bold stand and appeared to be in high spirits as he congratulated the winner while beaming from ear to ear.
The loss, which came on the heels of his stunning win over unbeaten Puerto Rican Nestor Bravo in March, was his seventh.
Though calls for him to retire are likely to increase, his performance in Turkey shows he can continue to be competitive against world-class opposition and earn more paydays.
Daily Dispatch
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