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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
SOUTH Africa-based Zimbabwean heavyweight boxer Elvis Moyo has been hit by Covid-19 effects after losing his world rating due to two years of inactivity.
Losing the world rating means Moyo has to get more fights to regain his ranking and attract other top boxers.
The Bulawayo Bomber’s rating has been wiped out by boxrec.com after going for two years without stepping into the ring.
Moyo last fought Swiss boxer Arnold Gjergjaj on May 25, 2019, and lost by a unanimous points’ decision.
The former World Boxing Federation (WBF) African heavyweight champion’s scheduled fight against Romanian Bogdan Marius Dinu set for Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, was called off after the latter got an offer to fight a higher-ranked American pugilist next month.
Dinu, who is ranked 67th in the world, is now set to fight Trevor Bryan, who is 41st in the world rankings and is rated the 10th best heavyweight pugilist in the USA.
A bill against Dinu would have helped Moyo improve his ranking.
A disappointed Moyo said: “Now I have to opt for something big as well or at least get three fights one after the other. Due to inactivity of boxers in 2020 because of Covid-19, we lost ratings and as it is I’m rated inactive by boxrec. This means I’m basically starting afresh.
“My hope now is that my stable Global Stars use their connections to come up with something in April. At the moment I just have to keep training as I’m chasing weight cuts. If I go down to around 118kgs, it will brighten my chances of getting invitations from EFC (Extreme Fighting Championship) or MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). I really wanted to box more, but with the uncertainty of getting boxing bouts, I’m open to EFC or MMA to keep in shape.”
Moyo presently weighs 135kgs and is targeting losing 10kgs in the next three weeks.
“I can lose the last 7kgs through following a disciplined diet and more cardio sessions,” said Moyo.
Last December, Moyo, a former World Boxing Federation (WBF) Africa heavyweight champion, turned down a proposed title fight with Belgium-based DR Congo boxer Jack Mulowayi Nsendula.
He said then that he needed at least three non-title fights before accepting a title bill. – @ZililoR
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