Landile ‘Man Down’ Ngxeke is still trying to figure out what really happened to him after he suffered his first career loss following a second round stoppage defeat to Jayr Raquinel from the Philippines at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) on Sunday.
As a result of the stoppage, the 25-year-old Raquinel won the vacant World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Intercontinental junior-bantamweight title.
Raquinel’s uppercut did the damage from the first round and it was then no wonder when he decked Ngxeke in the second round.
Ngxeke beat the count, but Raquinel came forward and finished the Sada-born boxer forcing fight referee Lulama Mtya to intervene.
“I really don’t know what happened. It’s difficult for me to explain what really happened. I hadn’t warmed up yet inside the ring and was trying to study him when he stopped me,” Ngxeke said.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Ngxeke is not giving up despite the loss. He’s now going to focus on defeding his South African junior-bantamweight title.
“This is not the end of the world for me. I still have my SA title and I’m going to defend it,” Ngxeke remarked.
Ngxeke won the SA title when he stopped Athenkosi Dumezweni at the Sun City Superbowl in Rustenburg six months ago. He then defended the title with a fourth round stoppage win over Lindile Tshemese in June.
