TAKE MONEY SOARING

Bruce Chikuni

KUDAKWASHE “Take Money” Chiwandire is the first Zimbabwean boxer to challenge for the World Boxing Council Super Bantamweight Gold title.

Take Money earned this chance by beating Zulina Munoz of Mexico in a WBC Super Bantamweight interim title at the HICC on Friday night.

Charles Manyuchi was close to achieving this feat, but then lost his WBC welterweight title to Uzbekistan fighter, Qudratillo Abduqaxorov.

Before Friday night’s bout, Chiwandire had gone through the worst of preparations psychologically.

The fight was postponed three times due to logistical challenges and chances of her being stripped of her title, without throwing a punch, were growing by the day.

Her coach, Clyde Musonda, who is also the director of Delta Force Academy, the fight promoters, was financially handcapped to stage the bout.

Had it not been for the Government’s intervention, there wouldn’t be any rave reviews of the best and most successful female boxer to ever emerge from Zimbabwe.

Some naysayers had even predicted that the Government’s intervention was a little too late and even suggested that Chiwandire had already lost the fight psychologically.

That left Musonda having to fight on three fronts.

He had to ensure the fight happens at all costs as her manager, train Chiwandire to get her into the best condition for the bout, and to work on her mental stamina.

Moreover, Chiwandire was ranked 40 lower than her opponent, by the WBC.

Munoz was ranked ninth.

That huge gap in rankings alone could have justified Chiwandire’s loss.

But, Musonda’s way of managing his boxer under such circumstances is probably the reason Take Money has raised her profile in professional boxing ranks.

That, however, does not absolve him from almost bungling the title fight by failing to engage relevant and key stakeholders in time.

This would have prevented the hat-trick of postponements the title fight suffered be-fore the Government eventually stepped in.

The way Take Money outclassed Munoz from the first, to the last round of the bout, was clearly the opposite of what happened administratively ahead of her title defence.

She hailed Musonda and said he deserves recognition for his role in the successful defence of her title.

“I want to thank God for what he is doing in my life.

“I can safely say I’m living my dream, but this could not have been possible if it wasn’t for my good trainer and manager,” said Chiwandire.

“We went through a lot before this match and the more the chances of the fight were becoming low, the more we pushed extra hard, in training.

“The pain was unbearable, but we kept our heads high hoping for the best and never stopped believing.”

The 27-year-old is making a good case of forcing her name into the global boxing arena.

She appears to have won the hearts of local businessmen like Pedzisai “Scott Sakupwanya, Wicknell Chivhayo and Mike Chimombe, whose support might help her escape future logistical dilemmas.