Champ Manyuchi defends WBC title

Sports Reporter/Harare Bureau—
WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) international welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi took his unbeaten record to 15 on Saturday night after defending his belt against Italian Gianluca Frezza at Sequals, Friuli-Venezia, in Italy. The Zimbabwean, 25, had to dig deep into his bag of tactics to wear down the well-supported Frezza, 35, and, in the process, even managed to convert a good part of the Italian fans to back him.

Buoyed by a contingent of seven United Kingdom-based fellow countrymen, who booked the two-hour flight to Italy for the fight and waved the Zimbabwean flag shouting themselves hoarse from one corner of the venue, the WBC champion was steered into a trance.

Spirit Embassy founder Eubert Angel was also present to support Manyuchi with flag in hand.

Angel reportedly took to the ring to congratulate Manyuchi after the fight.

Speaking from Italy, a joyful Manyuchi told our Harare Bureau minutes after the fight that Frezza was one of the toughest opponents he had faced, but a combination of tactics and resilience had won the day for him.

“I acknowledge he (Frezza) was a tough opponent and it was a serious fight, especially with all the support that he was enjoying from the multitudes of Italians who came to watch us,” said Manyuchi.

“But with the help of my ever reliable corner, I adopted a different approach from the one I normally use, as I realised I was dealing with a boxer, who is shorter than me and could easily use the hook against me.

“I first subjected him to hard body punches and when I realised these had worn him out, the strategy thereafter was to deliver jabs and punches that I usually reserve for opponents of his calibre and the rest is history,” he said.

From the moment Manyuchi made his way to the ring with a Bible in hand, it was obvious the hosts were out to demoralise him. His favourite entrance gospel track “Areka” by Mathias Mhere was paused on the PA system to confuse his stride, but he punched his way to victory in his first bout outside the African continent.

Christopher Malunga, the operations director of Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions, who are the Zimbabwean boxer’s adopted Zambian managers, attributed the win to the seriousness with which they approached the bout.

“We went into camp to prepare just four days after his last fight and since then, we’ve been working hard on him. This (win) is obviously a result of hard work, commitment and dedication by the whole team at Oriental Quarries,” said Malunga.

He paid tribute to the Zimbabweans, who travelled to support Manyuchi, saying they made the work a lot easier for his team.

The champion is expected in Lusaka, Zambia, this evening, after which he’ll fly home to Harare tomorrow for a few days’ break as he awaits the WBC to map out the next move for him.

A hero’s welcome is on the cards for Manyuchi amid revelations by one of his sponsors, Mr T35, that he would get a brand new Nissan Elgrand vehicle for doing the country proud.

Manyuchi’s fight with the former WBC Mediterranean champion Frezza was taken away from the outskirts of the Italian capital, Rome, to a town where the best Italian heavyweight pugilist ever, Primo “The Ambling Ap” Carnera, was born.

The orthodox boxer retired from the ring with an impressive record of 88 wins and 14 losses after having won prestigious world titles that included the National Boxing Association, the European Boxing Union and the International Boxing Union crowns.

Manyuchi’s defeat of Frezza, a former WBC Mediterranean welterweight champion, became his seventh knock-out in the 15 consecutive wins the Zimbabwean has recorded.

His record now stands at 17-2-1.

His stock continues to rise and his victory in Italy will no doubt open avenues for possible big-money fights.

The Chiredzi-born boxer lived true to his pre-match promise of returning to Africa with the belt.

Manyuchi was always confident of victory and had vowed not to buckle under pressure.

“I’m ready for the fight. Yes, Frezza will be fighting in front of his home fans, but that won’t scare me, I’m the champion. I want to come out of Italy with my belt. I promise Zimbabweans that I’ll try my best, I’ll not crumble. I know how important this fight is for me, in terms of getting better opportunities for big-money fights in future, so I can’t afford to lose,” said Manyuchi before the fight.

The WBC international welterweight champion rose to international prominence in March 2014 after he defeated Ghanaian boxer Patrick Allotey to land the WBC International Welterweight crown. Since then, he has never looked back.

Manyuchi, Zimbabwe’s reigning Sportsperson of the Year used May’s non-title fight against Tanzania’s Ibrahimu Class to prepare for Frezza.

Manyuchi battered Class in 57 seconds in what turned out to be virtually a no contest.