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Langton Nyakwenda
RARELY do you see them grabbing the headlines because most of the attention goes to those in the boxing ring.
Yet trainers and coaches play a crucial role in creating superstar boxers, who have transformed the sweet science sport into a billion-dollar industry.
Many boxing fans would want to talk about the legendary Mike “Iron Mike” Tyson, but few remember his trainer Cus D’Amato.
Reigning World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is naturally more popular than his trainer SugarHill Steward.
Manny Pacquiao is equally more famous than Freddie Roach.
Eddie Futch produced top boxers like former World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick, Riddick Bowe and Joe Frazer, but he will not dominate boxing discussions.
The same goes for Lou Duva, who worked with former heavyweight champions Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.
Nothing much is said about Floyd Mayweather’s trainer and uncle, Roger.
Even locally, many will talk about former WBC Silver champion Charles Manyuchi, or current African Boxing Union (ABU) Africa lightweight champion Aliyah Phiri, but a few will recall their trainer, Ali “Otto” Phiri.
Phiri is one of the outstanding boxing trainers in the country.
He has worked with several champions, including Manyuchi, Brendon “Boika” Denes and Aliyah.
In the last five years, Phiri’s trainees have won six international belts.
Manyuchi won the World Boxing Federation (WBF) and World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) belts working with Phiri, while Denes won the World Boxing Organisation Africa welterweight and WBF super lightweight belts under him.
Recently, Phiri tuned up Aliyah and Hassan “Starboy” Milanzi, who are holders of the ABU lightweight and ABU SADC super bantamweight belts, respectively.
Both Aliyah and Milanzi belong to the Otto Boxing Stable, where Phiri holds the keys.
“I have chosen this route and I want to go far with it,” Phiri told The Sunday Mail Sport.
He is a former professional boxer, though he made his name more at amateur level, where he won 70 fights.
“Trainers play an important role because boxing is all about hard work and tactics. It’s not about juju, or kutemerwa nyora,” said Phiri.
The 36-year-old trainer was bred in Kwekwe, where his father, Issa, worked at a mining company.
“My father didn’t want me to do boxing, yet he was into boxing. He trained boxers like Farai and Godfrey Musiiwa,” he said. “So, I would train with these guys as a kid whenever my father went to work.
“Later on, my uncle convinced my dad to let me play the game.”
That is how his boxing journey began.
Phiri was part of the junior athletes who participated in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
He then turned professional in 2007 and lost once in six fights, retiring in 2008 to become a personal trainer.
“Things were tight; there was no sponsorship for fights in 2008,” he said. “I started training individuals and some young boxers. That was until I started training Manyuchi; he is also my friend. Whenever he came back from Zambia, I would train him.”
The Otto Boxing Stable has nine professional boxers, including Tinashe “Jones” Majoni and Freeman Mabvongwe.
“Mabvongwe and Majoni are very good boxers,” reckons Phiri. “If only we could get more sponsorship, we would produce more champions.”
The Otto Boxing Stable is being sponsored by female promoter Lindsay Earle, who recently bought a nine-seater vehicle for the boxing club.
“I am very happy that Aliyah and Hassan have international belts. It motivates us to keep going,” he said. “This also inspires other boxers in the stable.
“This is the route we want to take. We have a lot of promising boxers in the stable. It’s a matter of time; God’s time is the best.”
Phiri has kept to his heart one piece of advice he got from his father.
“My father told me there’s no shortcut in boxing,” he said. “There’s no need for juju nor mangoromera (a traditional belief said to enhance one’s fighting abilities). In boxing, you just need to work hard in the gym.”
Online Reporter