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Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE’S newly crowned African Boxing Union welterweight champion Charles Munyuchi is expected to return home tomorrow following his win in Burkina Faso last week. Manyuchi beat Patrice Sou Toke of Burkina Faso in a title fight in Ouagadougou on Friday to join the elite club of Zimbabwean boxers like Langton “Schoolboy” Tinago, Proud “Kilimanjaro” Chinembiri, Thamsanqa Dube, Tineyi Mharidzo and Arifonso Zvenyika who have held international belts before.
The Masvingo-based boxer knocked out the 30-year-old Burkinabe in the fifth round of their scheduled 12 rounds match.
It was the first time that the 24-year-old Manyuchi took a crack at an international belt and he came out with flying colours.
The Harare correspondent yesterday caught up with Manyuchi in Zambia as he prepared to make a courtesy call to the Zimbabwean Embassy in Lusaka.
Manyuchi said he had been given a mandatory three months to defend his belt and already a challenger from Morocco has come on board.
“I will be arriving in Harare on Friday around midday to show the people at home my belt and hopefully I should start preparing for my defence,” said Manyuchi.
Manyuchi, who boasts of 13 professional fights, tainted by two defeats, went into the fight as the underdog against Sao Toke who had 18 (1).
“This was my first time to fight for an international title and I gave my best. I just told myself that I should fight as if it was my last fight,” said Manyuchi.
Manyuchi, who is the national welterweight champion, said he drew confidence after he sent his opponent to the canvas in the second round.
“I used my experience of fighting in other countries. I never felt intimidated because I had fights in countries like DRC, Zambia, Malawi and Namibia while he had only fought in Ghana and Sweden. The people in Burkina Faso treat him like a king because he is rich but I was determined to humiliate him.
“Actually I knocked him down in the second round and the referee made a count before he rose to his feet. I also floored him in the third round and by then the fans started supporting me.
“I then caught him with a right punch on the chin and he went down and that was the end of the fight because he was counted out,” said Manyuchi.
Manyuchi believes his style and determination saw him dethroning the champion after two minutes 45 seconds in the fifth round of the scheduled 12 round match.
“My style is that I do not employ any guard (defence) but I duck the punches and then throw. I hope to get sponsors for my title defence. I will talk to my manager Edison Zvobgo (junior) and see if we can stage the fight in Zimbabwe. But if we cannot do that, the guys here in Zambia are willing to help me as I want to challenge for the World Boxing Council,” the boxer said.
Before going to Burkina Faso, Manyuchi set up camp at the Oriental Quarries Boxing Club in Zambia where he trained under Christopher Mulenga.
Meanwhile, Deltaforce Boxing Promotions manager Clyde Musonda is mobilising the local boxing community to be at the Harare International Airport tomorrow to welcome the champion.
Musonda said he would invite boxers from Juluka Academy, Mbare, Raylton, Churchill and Prince Edward to give Manyuchi a hero’s welcome.
Online Reporter