Exciting times ahead for boxing

Exciting times lie ahead if plans by top boxing promoters are anything to go by. After going for close to 10 years without any major local tournaments, a series of championships have been lined up in a bid to revive the sport.

At the centre of the revival bid are promoters Boris Zneider of Bitcon Promotions and Clyde Musonda of Deltaforce Sports Trust, who have set out plans for tournaments, starting with one on February 27, another on March 28, and possibly an Independence Day gala that would also feature Zambian and Malawian boxers.

This is in sharp contrast to the absence of any action during the past 10 years. Some of the local boxers have had to fight in foreign lands, where most of them have been battered as they have been going there with neither ring fitness nor adequate preparation.

The February 27 event is billed to feature all the country’s top contenders for national titles at the Raylton Sports Club. Zneider said he was negotiating with the Zimbabwe National Boxing Control Board to have all the national titles at stake.

Most, if not all the national titles, are vacant as boxing has been non-existent for some time and the Boxing Control Board has been busy trying to locate active boxers in order to update the rankings and make it easier for promoters to match-make the boxers.

“There have been accusations that promoters are duping boxers but I want to guarantee all the boxers involved that they will receive their purse money immediately after their fights. So, I want to deposit all the required funds into the account of the boxing control board who will distribute the money after the tournament,” said Zneider.

The tournament will be free for boxing lovers as it is aimed at bringing back the fans, last treated to top-class local boxing way back in the 90s.

Some of the top boxers earmarked to take part in this extravaganza include former World Boxing Organisation regional champion Tineyi Mharidzo, Patience Masitara, Monalisa Sibanda, Thamsanga Dube and Tawanda Chigwinda.

The March 28 show will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi Hall at the Harare Showgrounds and topping the entertainment bill will be the World Boxing Organisation Super middleweight title eliminator between Zimbabwe’s Mharidzo and Malawi’s Chimwemwe Chiotcha.

The winner of the bout will go on to challenge for the WBO title that was left vacant by Namibia’s Wilberforce Sihepa who has decided to fight in a heavier weight category.

Dubbed Champions in the Making, the tournament will also draw boxers from all over the country, including Gweru, Mashava, Zvishavane, Mutare, Masvingo, Beitbridge, KweKwe, Bulawayo, Harare and will also feature Brilliant Tinago, son of the legendary Langton ‘Schoolboy’ Tinago.

The tournament will also see six amateur boxers Joseph Mudzingwa, Milton Moyo, Brighton Zhanje, Beven Nyamhondera, Partson Mutengwa and Ephraim Dzingayi turn professional.

Brendon Denes, 16, from Mashava, who gave a good account of himself at the Africa Sports Council Region 5 Games, will also be on parade to showcase his skills and begin life at national senior amateur level.

Zneider said the Independence Day Gala would be used for mandatory title defences for those who win national titles on February 27. Zambia’s legendary former world champions Esther Phiri and Zimbabwe’ Africa Boxing Union title holder Charles Manyuchi would appear at the show for exhibition.

Should these ambitious plans become a reality, Zimbabwe could be laying down the foundation for a return to the good old days when the country was the top boxing nation on the continent.

Post published in: Sport

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