Sundaymail Editor
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
THE World Boxing Federation (WBF) will hold a virtual meeting today to determine the fate of Charles Manyuchi’s middleweight world title should he fail to defend it next month.
Manyuchi’s title defence fight against Muhamad Sebyala of Uganda, which has been set for a hotel in Masvingo on July 3, hangs in balance following a Government directive to halt sporting disciplines deemed to be high risk as part of Covid-19 containment measures.
Boxing’s suspension has placed Manyuchi in a Catch-22 situation, as failure to defend his crown might result in the WBF vacating the title.
The 32-year-old pugilist has not defended his title since September 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The WBF have been following the latest developments and last week warned of the possibility of Manyuchi vacating his world title in a letter addressed to the boxing board.
And today the sanctioning body’s executive will hold a meeting to discuss the matter.
“I have a Zoom meeting on Sunday (today) with my committee members to discuss the Charles Manyuchi issue,” WBF president Howard Goldberg told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“I hope the tournament goes on. We hope the Government of Zimbabwe gives a special dispensation so that Charles Manyuchi can defend his fight.
“Should the fight take place, the
WBF will ensure that all Covid-19 protocols are followed. We will insist that the
strictest measures are in place,” Goldberg added.
Article 1.3 of the WBF rules and regulations states that: “Any World Boxing Federation world champion must defend his/her title within nine (9) months, any WBF Intercontinental, International or regional champion must defend his/her title within six (6) months, otherwise the title may be declared vacant in the discretion of the World Boxing Federation.”
Although the WBF boss seemed to indicate the federation might give Manyuchi a reprieve, he emphasised the need to follow rules and regulations that govern titleholders.
“As WBF we are there to create champions and not destroy them. That’s why we are meeting to see how we can treat this matter.
“Besides, there is a good opportunity in the Middle East for Charles (Manyuchi) should he successfully defend his belt,” Goldberg said.
The Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (ZNBWCB) has been engaging the Government for a special waiver for Manyuchi’s world title fight, and board secretary Lawrence Zimbudzana is hopeful.
“We are in consultation with the Ministry of Sport and we are trying to get permission to proceed with the event under strict Covid-19 protocols,” Zimbudzana said.
But the boxer is growing anxious and uneasy as the clock ticks towards July 3.
He fears all the success and legacy he has built in the last decade might come to naught if he is stripped of the only notable belt left in his cabinet.
“I have a feeling all the legacy that I have built might be destroyed if I lose this belt in these circumstances,” he told The Sunday Mail Sport on Friday.
“It will be a huge blow if the WBF were to strip me of the title. It’s a very difficult situation because on the one hand we need to protect lives by following Covid-19 protocols and on the other there is the issue of the future of Zimbabwean boxing.
“This is the only world title that we have as a country and it will be embarrassing for the country to lose it that way.”
Manyuchi has put Zimbabwe on the world map through his exploits in the ring since 2013 when he won the African Boxing Union welterweight title.
He then won the WBC International before clinching the coveted WBC Silver welterweight title in May 2016 in what was a historical achievement for Zimbabwe.
He relinquished the WBC Silver title to Uzbek boxer Qudratillo Abduqaxorov in 2017, but resurrected his career when he won the WBF middleweight world title after beating Diego Gallardo of Argentina in September 2019.
He should have defended the WBF title twice by now, but that hasn’t happened because of the coronavirus, which forced the country into lockdown since March 2020.
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