There will be no Christmas party, chocolate, lemon and sugar crinkle cookies for Xolisani "Nomeva" Ndongeni.
He will be sweating throughout the festive season to get himself ready for a 10-round boxing match against highly rated WBO intercontinental junior welterweight champion Arnold Barboza Jr.
The American is rated No 5 in the world by BoxRec.com. Ndongeni has been placed in the 60th position.
Their boxing match will be organised by Golden Boy Promotion in Las Vegas in the US on January 6.
Ndongeni says he will jet out to the land of the dollar on December 28 with his Duncan Village, Eastern Cape-based trainer Mzamo "Chief" Njekanye joining him a week later.
"Luckily, this fight comes when I have been hard in the gym preparing for a fight which was supposed to happen in the Bahamas, USA, on December 16, so I am fit," said the 33 year-old former ABU junior welterweight champion.
Ndongeni's last competitive boxing match was on July 8 when he dropped a points decision over 10 rounds to Ernesto Mecardo in Nicaragua.
Ndongeni says he has been helping Kaine "K9" Fourie and Sibusiso Zingange with sparring for their boxing matches.
Fourie - a top contender for BSA 2024 Prospect of the Year award winner - produced 2023 upset of the year when in only in his sixth professional fight - stopped more experienced former SA and IBO champion Lusanda Komanisi in the fourth round on November 25 in Kempton Park, on the East Rand.
Komanisi was involved in his 35th fight, with 22 knockouts in 27 wins against eight losses. Zingange dropped a points decision over 10 rounds to Gift "Sheriff" Bholo in Bloemfontein, Free State, last weekend.
"It is their turn to help me," said Ndongeni.
"Victory against such a highly rated 32 year-old American from Long Beach, California, will impact positive in Ndongeni's rating. "So, ja, no Christmas for me."
Ndongeni and Barboza were supposed to have fought in 2019 but their boxing match failed to materialise.
Barboza has a frightening CV which reads 28 wins with 10 knockouts. He is yet to taste defeat.
The last time Barboza won a fight by stoppage was in 2019 when he successfully retained the WBC and North American Boxing Federation belts with a fifth round technical knockout of William Silva.
Since then Barboza won the WBO Intercontinental belt on points after 10 rounds against Alex Saucedo at MGM Grand Casino, US, on October 17 2020.
The champion's three consecutive successful defenses were also decided by the judges because all went full 10 rounds scheduled distances.
Ndongeni who will be involved in his fourth boxing match in America said: "Barboza is a good boxer but not a big puncher. It's gonna be a good fight."
Ndongeni has chalked up 18 knockouts in 31 wins against three losses.
One his losses was to American Devin Haney when they fought in the US for the WBC International and the WBO Intercontinental lightweight belts on January 11 2019.
Ndongeni lost that 10 round match on points. Haney who goes by the moniker "The Dream" went on to become the undisputed lightweight World champ - holding the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring titles.
That defeat was Ndongeni's first after 25 straight wins since he fought his first boxing match on May 29 2010.
Two fights after tasting defeat, Ndongeni was knocked out cold in the fifth round by Sibusiso "Prince" Dlomo, but he bounced back like a true warrior to register five consecutive wins, four by way of short-route, before being defeated by Mercado on July 8 2022.
Ndongeni is a former Eastern Cape, SA and WBF International junior lightweight, SA , IBO and WBF lightweight champion.
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