ZIMBABWE welterweight boxing champion Charles Manyuchi has lost out on a chance to contest for a world title fight with an unnamed South African light middleweight champion after he chickened out of a warm–up non-title fight in Namibia recently. Report by Sukoluhle Mthethwa
The world title fight was supposed to take place in South Africa.
The fights were being facilitated by former Zimbabwe light and middleweight boxing champion Mordecai Donga.
“Manyuchi is no longer going to fight for the title fight because he has chickened out of the non-title fight. This would have given him the platform to fully prepare for the title fight because the Namibian boxer is a WBO champion.
“This was a great opportunity for him because everything was now in place for the fight,” Donga said.
“We had secured a contract for him and he had been cleared by the board to fight, but he has shown amateurish behaviour. I think some form of disciplinary action should be taken because he has spoiled the reputation of the board, me as a promoter and the Zimbabwean boxing fraternity.
“He has given himself a bad name. Some of the organisers wanted to see how he fights before the title fight,” he said.
Manyuchi was billed to fight Julius Indongo in a non-title light welterweight bout.
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However, contacted for comment Manyuchi hit back, saying he will be fighting in Zambia on Saturday.
“The problem is that Donga is trying to destroy boxing. He told me three days ago that I am supposed to fight in Namibia, but I told him to speak to my manager and coach and he refused,” he said.
“I cannot fight when I have no contract and when I have not prepared. I am not fighting in Namibia, but I am going to fight a Democratic Republic of Congo boxer, Nbiya Kanku, in a welterweight non-title fight on Saturday in Zambia.”
