THE Premier Boxing League (PBL) may be making boxers’ bank balances fatter but the lucrative league has also given birth to a potential superstar in Duncan Village boxer Xolisani Ndongeni.
With the league devoid of knockouts in the past three tournaments, Songeni delivered a knockout blow in dramatic fashion when he knocked out Vusumzi Bokolo in one round in a wild and violent lightweight clash at East London’s Orient Theatre on Friday night.
By knocking out Bokolo, Ndongeni is now in pole position to walk away with the best boxer of the league accolade as well as the R1-million first prize that goes with it.
In his first fight in the league, Ndongeni dominated Grant Fourie to vault ahead of his peers in all four divisions and his knockout of Bokolo has now put him in an insurmountable spot not only to win the R200 000 prize for becoming the top fighter in his division but the last man standing when all is said and done.
The 23-year-old who holds the SA junior lightweight title, and is now unbeaten in 13 bouts, showed he is adept at fighting in the heavier lightweight division as he proved against natural lightweight Bokolo who holds the provincial title in that weight class.
Luring the bigger yet glassy jawed Bokolo into a brawl, Ndongeni set a frenetic pace and forced his technically superior foe to fight – rather than box.
Landing looping and at times wild punches, the shorter Ndongeni kept coming forward and in no time Bokolo had no option but to return the fire, turning the clash into a wild exchange of punches much to the delight of the packed and divided hall.
Repeatedly connecting upstairs with a sweeping right, Ndongeni landed a two-punch salvo, wobbling Bokolo to the ropes and in the process galvanising the Duncan Villager into a fiery mood.
Ndongeni increased his attack as he landed big blows until a short left hook on the inside left Bokolo sprawled on the canvas.
With the hall reverberating in deafening noise, Bokolo bravely tried to rise but his legs betrayed him as he staggered back onto the ropes – reminiscent of Trevor Berbick’s famous three knockdowns by one Mike Tyson left hook.
In a dramatic end to the fight and the tournament, Bokolo was counted out, sparking the hall into a frenzy
In another action-packed bout, Makazole Tete again let his opponent off the hook for the second time in the league when he allowed Capetonian Vusumzi Magwaca back into the fight in their drawn flyweight duel.
The technically sound Tete hurt Magwaca several times but took a step backward instead of going for the kill, allowing the hardworking Magwaca time to recover.
Magwaca seemed to figure out Tete as he let his jab go making it hard for the unbeaten and popular Mdantsane boxer to come inside.
Macbute Sinyabi earned a fourth round stoppage over an overmatched Lwando Molwana in bizarre circumstances when Capetonian Molwana missed and slipped and the referee correctly ruled it a slip.
When the referee ordered the resumption of the fight, Molwana surprisingly put one knee on the canvas before gesturing, with one hand, that he had had enough.
KwaZulu-Natal’s Innocent Mantengu decked Cletus Mbele from Gauteng in the first round en route to a unanimous decision victory in a bantamweight bout.
Ndongeni leads charge to win R1m prize in PBL
With the league devoid of knockouts in the past three tournaments, Songeni delivered a knockout blow in dramatic fashion when he knocked out Vusumzi Bokolo in one round in a wild and violent lightweight clash at East London’s Orient Theatre on Friday night.
By knocking out Bokolo, Ndongeni is now in pole position to walk away with the best boxer of the league accolade as well as the R1-million first prize that goes with it.
In his first fight in the league, Ndongeni dominated Grant Fourie to vault ahead of his peers in all four divisions and his knockout of Bokolo has now put him in an insurmountable spot not only to win the R200 000 prize for becoming the top fighter in his division but the last man standing when all is said and done.
The 23-year-old who holds the SA junior lightweight title, and is now unbeaten in 13 bouts, showed he is adept at fighting in the heavier lightweight division as he proved against natural lightweight Bokolo who holds the provincial title in that weight class.
Luring the bigger yet glassy jawed Bokolo into a brawl, Ndongeni set a frenetic pace and forced his technically superior foe to fight – rather than box.
Landing looping and at times wild punches, the shorter Ndongeni kept coming forward and in no time Bokolo had no option but to return the fire, turning the clash into a wild exchange of punches much to the delight of the packed and divided hall.
Repeatedly connecting upstairs with a sweeping right, Ndongeni landed a two-punch salvo, wobbling Bokolo to the ropes and in the process galvanising the Duncan Villager into a fiery mood.
Ndongeni increased his attack as he landed big blows until a short left hook on the inside left Bokolo sprawled on the canvas.
With the hall reverberating in deafening noise, Bokolo bravely tried to rise but his legs betrayed him as he staggered back onto the ropes – reminiscent of Trevor Berbick’s famous three knockdowns by one Mike Tyson left hook.
In a dramatic end to the fight and the tournament, Bokolo was counted out, sparking the hall into a frenzy
In another action-packed bout, Makazole Tete again let his opponent off the hook for the second time in the league when he allowed Capetonian Vusumzi Magwaca back into the fight in their drawn flyweight duel.
The technically sound Tete hurt Magwaca several times but took a step backward instead of going for the kill, allowing the hardworking Magwaca time to recover.
Magwaca seemed to figure out Tete as he let his jab go making it hard for the unbeaten and popular Mdantsane boxer to come inside.
Macbute Sinyabi earned a fourth round stoppage over an overmatched Lwando Molwana in bizarre circumstances when Capetonian Molwana missed and slipped and the referee correctly ruled it a slip.
When the referee ordered the resumption of the fight, Molwana surprisingly put one knee on the canvas before gesturing, with one hand, that he had had enough.
KwaZulu-Natal’s Innocent Mantengu decked Cletus Mbele from Gauteng in the first round en route to a unanimous decision victory in a bantamweight bout.
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