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Ndongeni can't take it easy

Xolisani 'Nomeva' Ndongeni
Xolisani 'Nomeva' Ndongeni

A below-par victory for Xolisani Ndongeni against Tanzanian Emilio "Prince Kilimanjaro" Noffart at Orient Theatre on April 22 will not be good enough to book him a ticket to Las Vegas, warns his trainer Colin "Nomakanjani" Nathan.

Promoter Rodney Berman has cancelled Paul "The Natural" Kamanga's trip to Las Vegas where the WBA Pan African welterweight champion was to make his debut on June 20. Kamanga was shocking in his win against Russian Roman Balaev at Emperors Palace last month.

Berman made it clear that Kamanga was not ready for a big platform like Las Vegas and said 25-year-old IBO lightweight champion Ndongeni would replace Kamanga.

But Nathan said a below-par performance would also not be good enough for Ndongeni to fly to Sin City.

"He must look really good against Noffart in order to cement his trip to the US," said the trainer who will not be in Ndongeni's corner because he will be in Sweden with Ryno Liebenberg. "The Lion" will challenge IBF Intercontinental light-heavyweight champion Erik Skoglund on April 23.

"But I know what Ndongeni is capable of and I have confidence that he will not disappoint."

Ndongeni did not look good in his last fight in November when he came back from the brink of defeat to force a ninth-round stoppage win against Jasper Seroka for the then vacant IBO belt.

Nathan's assistant Vusi Mtolo will be in charge of Ndongeni's corner. Ndongeni and Noffart will meet in a non-title 10-rounder in a tournament that will be staged by Sijuta Promotion in association with the University of Fort Hare.

Sidinile said Simpiwe "V12" Vetyeka will welcome Japanese Tsuyoshi Tameda over 10 rounds, while Luzuko Siyo and Yohei Tobe from Japan will fight for the vacant WBA International bantamweight belt over 12 rounds.

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