Manyuchi’s remarkable birthday rituals

Langton Nyakwenda

THERE is always something special about Charles Manyuchi’s birthdays.

He signed his first foreign professional boxing contract with Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions of Zambia on his 23rd birthday, on November 19, 2012.

A few weeks later, he embarked on a 495-kilometre journey to Lusaka to commence his first stint with Zambia’s famed boxing promoters.

It was a journey that would catapult him to stardom and, later on, riches.

Manyuchi had virtually nothing when he travelled to Lusaka in December 2012.

He had no decent bag to pack his few belongings and had to borrow one from a friend by the name of Martin Beula, who worked at Mr. T35, a company that would later become Manyuchi’s anchor sponsor.

He also borrowed a pair of shoes from another friend, while the blue boxing gloves that he took with him to Lusaka were sourced from Ali “Otto” Phiri, a popular local boxing personality.

All those memories flooded Manyuchi’s mind when he celebrated his 34th birthday in Chivhu last Sunday.

A few hours after knocking out Alick Gogoda of Malawi, Manyuchi’s promoter Prosper Chibaya threw a surprise birthday party for the iconic Zimbabwean boxing star at the same venue.

Manyuchi was left stunned when he walked into a well-decorated room that was full of his relatives and friends, including his mother.

His promoter proposed to play the gospel song “Areka” by Mathias Mhere to welcome Manyuchi into the room.

He thought the song befitted the occasion, as “Areka” has been Manyuchi’s ring walk tune for years now. But Manyuchi flatly refused.

“I guess it’s better if you play another song because this one (“Areka”) brings back floods of memories, some of which are bad.

“It’s a song that reminded me of the painful journey that I travelled to be where I am today,” Manyuchi explained.

It was a painful journey that saw Manyuchi stay in different locations because his father, Ottis, was a soldier, who would occasionally change barracks.

Manyuchi stayed in Bulawayo and Mudzi, before relocating to Triangle, where he worked as a sugarcane cutter and also engaged in local non-professional boxing bouts in his spare time.

He had already made a name for himself at the National Youths Games by the time he moved to Triangle.

He was then discovered by Edison Zvobgo Jr, who immediately fell in love with his boxing skills.

Manyuchi was taken to Masvingo, where he stayed at one of Zvobgo’s hotels, before he turned professional at Raylton Sports Club in Harare on February 14, 2009.

“I think that was one of the major turning points for Charles’ career.

“I always knew he was talented because I trained him when he was still a young boy, but when he turned pro, I felt he was now onto something big,” Manyuchi’s father, himself a former pugilist, told The Sunday Mail Sport.

Manyuchi went on to win the African Boxing Union, World Boxing Council international and World Boxing Council silver titles in a career that took him to various boxing venues across the globe.

He lost the WBC silver welterweight title to Kudratillo Abdukakhorov of Uzbekistan in Singapore  in 2017, but Manyuchi recovered and clinched the World Boxing Federation middleweight title, which he still holds.

Manyuchi, who also holds the Global Boxing Union belt, will relinquish the titles when he finally hangs up his gloves in the not-too-distant future.

Manyuchi has already announced his plans to retire from the sport, and is now holding a series of farewell bouts.

Outside the ring, he has amassed reasonable wealth, as he owns houses in Harare and Chivhu.

He is also into livestock production, mining and logistics.

“I read a lot of stories about famous boxers who died poor, and I told myself I would not fall into the same trap,” Manyuchi said.

“That’s why I invested a lot into different business sectors,” he said.

Manyuchi’s boxing exploits also earned him US$50 000 from the late former President Robert Mugabe in 2015.

“As I celebrate my 34th birthday, I would also like to thank a number of people who made me who I am today.

“Edison Zvobgo Jr, Chris Malunga of Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions and veteran local promoter Stalin Mau Mau —  they all played crucial roles in this journey.

“I have also been supported by the media, as well as the corporate world,” said Manyuchi, who took his record to 27-4-1 after defeating Gogoda last weekend.

While local boxing fans worship Manyuchi as a superstar, his family members still see him as that ordinary Charles, who was a naughty boy back in the day.

“He would steal eggs, boil and hide them in his pants.

“I don’t know how he managed to withstand the heat,” Manyuchi’s sister, Loveliness, revealed amid laughter from other family members.

“But one thing we liked most about our family was our unity; even up to today, we are still united.

“Back then, we would gang up against anyone who dared to beat up one of our family members,” she said.

Manyuchi’s brother, Mudawose, revealed that the boxer had other sporting talents.

“Charles was a fast runner; hapana aimubata. He was also a good footballer,” he said.

But to upcoming boxers like Brendon “Boika” Denes, Manyuchi is a father who looks after “many orphans”.

Denes grew up in a compound in Mashava before his fortunes changed after meeting Manyuchi.

“Manyuchi is everything to me. He is the one who dragged me out of poverty. You know how life is in the compound,” an emotional Denes said.

“For me to board an aeroplane, it was because of Manyuchi.

“We are not blood relatives, but to me, he is more than a father.

“And I am speaking on behalf of all the boxers in the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy.”

As Denes continued with his speech, an emotional Manyuchi could not hold back his tears.

It ended up being a birthday of boxing, fun and tears.

There was also an interesting angle to the event.

Charles’ younger brother Munyaradzi also turned professional in style, just before the man himself took to the ring at midnight.

Perhaps the Manyuchi boxing legacy will live on, courtesy of the new kid on the block — Munyaradzi.

l X: @LangtonGuraz