Arnold Barboza Jr. ended an 11-month layoff Saturday night by reminding the boxing world why he is a legitimate player in the stacked 140-pound division.

Barboza remained unbeaten by accurately picking apart South African veteran Xolisani Ndongeni until their scheduled 10-round fight was stopped after the eighth round on the Vergil Ortiz Jr.-Fredrick Lawson undercard at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The technically sound Barboza landed numerous right hands and jabs to Ndongeni’s head and left hooks to his body on his way to a dominant win.

Ndongeni’s handlers instructed referee Raul Caiz Jr. to stop the bout after an entirely one-sided eighth round.

The 32-year-old Barboza, of El Monte, California, improved to 29-0 (11 KOs) by winning his first fight since he signed with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions late last year. Barboza boxed for the first time Saturday night since he unanimously outpointed Jose Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs), a two-division champion from Puerto Rico, last February 3 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

Ndongeni (31-4, 18 KOs), of Duncan Village, South Africa, never stopped trying, but Barboza became the second opponent to stop him inside the distance.

Barboza battered Ndongeni for most of the eighth round, which led to the stoppage.

A right uppercut by Barboza turned Ndongeni’s head around just before the halfway point of the seventh round. Barboza landed two more rights that affected Ndongeni in the final 10 seconds of the seventh round.

Barboza worked well off his jab and dug to Ndongeni’s body with left hooks during the sixth round.

Barboza blasted Ndongeni with a right hand that got his attention 45 seconds into the fifth round. Another right by Barboza wobbled Ndongeni near the halfway point of the fifth round.

Barboza nailed Ndongeni with a right to his jaw, but Ndongeni took that shot well with just under 50 seconds to go in the fourth round.

Barboza’s left hook to the body landed flush with just under 40 seconds on the clock in the third round. A straight right by Barboza landed a few seconds before the midway mark of the third round.

For the third time in the second round, Barboza blasted Ndongeni with a right hand in an exchange with just under 15 seconds to go in it.

Barboza blasted Ndongeni with a right hand that knocked him into the ropes with just over a minute remaining in the second round. A previous right by Barboza moved Ndongeni into the ropes barely a minute into the second round.

Ndongeni landed three right hands during the middle minute of the opening round. Barboza eventually responded with a right hand of his own with just under 1:20 to go in the first round.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.