Donga eyes comeback

Sports Correspondent
FORMER lightweight and middleweight boxing champion Mordecai Donga is set to make a comeback into the ring with a fight in the making before the end of the year. Donga, who had hung up his gloves and turned to promotions, said he felt compelled to make a return to the ring and assist in the revival of the sport. Donga, who was in the country early last week from his base in Swaziland, said he is looking at spending another two to three years in the ring before putting full focus on his Big Fish Boxing Promotions stable.
He said he was motivated to box again after realising the sport was having difficulty emerging from the doldrums.

“I think if we have bouts featuring well known names we can attract a lot of people back to the sport while allowing youngsters to build their profiles.
“Although money has been the biggest drawback for the sport, I believe we need big names to arouse interest in both sponsors and the fans,” he said.

Donga said he was busy planning to have one fight before the end of the year, with more coming up next year.
He said at 36, he was the right age because that is the period that most boxers would be at their prime.

“I will be doing dual roles of promoting and fighting and this is nothing new as many boxers are doing it including pound for pound champion Floyd Mayweather,” added Donga.
He disclosed that he returned to the gym late last year and although he has been living in Swaziland for close to two years his boxing activities will be mainly in Zimbabwe.

The former middleweight champion was last in the ring in Bulawayo in 2011 when he was beaten by Charles Manyuchi, who is now the World Boxing Council international welterweight champion.

Big Fish Promotions has failed to host any bout since its formation over two years ago and although they had signed up several boxers and wanted to take them to Namibia, they failed after being denied permission by the Zimbabwe National Boxing Control Board.

“We had setbacks but I believe those are bygones, we engaged the boxing board and we both have the interest of the sport at heart and we have committed to helping each other in whatever way,” said Donga, who would be fighting in the super-middleweight category and weighs 78kgs. His professional record stands at 13 wins with seven knockouts.