admin
Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
MAU-MAU Boxing Promotions director Stalin Mau-Mau has expressed satisfaction over the manner in which the first boxing tournament in the country in over 15 months unfolded in Harare on Saturday night.
The last boxing event in the country was held in November 2019 with Covid-19 restrictions putting a stop to one of the most popular sports in Zimbabwe until Saturday.
Dubbed “Peanuts for Diamonds”, the Mau-Mau organised tournament featured 12 professional bouts of six rounds each.
And the night produced a full package – thrills, disappointments, drama and controversy – with Mau-Mau describing the event as encouraging.
“This has been a very successful event, I can tell you. It has worked out according to plan and people have been excited,” said Mau-Mau.
“Absolutely nobody could leave their seats because definitely it was fire after fire.
“There might have been some disappointing bouts here and there but overall the majority of the bouts were not only encouraging but satisfactory.
“We look forward to the next bill and we are confident a lot of things would have improved a lot.”
The peak of the bill featured national lightweight champion Ndodana Ncube against long-time foe Evans Husavihwevhu and what a thriller it was.
It was also the beginning of some off-ring drama that spilled into early yesterday morning.
Theirs was bout number nine and with the last bill on the card featuring Chiedza Homakoma and Wishes Murwira could be called in, an impromptu meeting was convened, the result of which declared Ncube the winner by a split points decision much to the Husavihwevhu camp’s disappointment.
The latter is from Charles Manyuchi Academy while Ncube is under the Mau-Mau stable.
Bouts between these two rising pugilists have always been tense and The Herald understands that the Charles Manyuchi Academy had initially refused Husavihwevhu to participate in the bout before clearing the 25-year-old to go ahead in the last minute.
Besides this drama, the results of which will dent Husavihwevhu’s Boxrec perfect statistics, the bill produced fire after fire.
Bongani Makovora knocked out Tinofadzwa Chikerema in the penultimate round of the six allotted rounds, while Jeremiah Mhere accounted for Kudzanai Maoneke via a KO halfway through the six round bout.
Given Daure and Allen Green shared the spoils while Adoniah Abraham and Sijolani Bernard knocked out Christopher Zhuwawo and Edmore Ruzvidzo respectively.
On the other hand, Freeman Mabvongwe beat Lazarus Sithole on majority points decision in one of the most thrilling bouts of the night while Coleen Zidumbu narrowly outfoxed Ndodana Moyo in another closely contested bout featuring two of the best boxers in this weight category.
Zvikomborero Dadzwa of the Mau-Mau stable as well as Kudakwashe Chivandire of Charles Manyuchi Academy managed to beat Sehliselwe Nhiliziyo and Patience Mastara on Unanimous Decision and Split Points Decision respectively.
Mau-Mau said although the boxers were rusty, his stable ia satisfied with the way they went about their business.
“Everybody was rusty, even the media in relation to reporting about boxing.
“So we are happy that we have washed away the rust from all the boxing stakeholders including the media and next time we would have oiled the machinery and eventually we will reach the heights that we are known for.
“It was the first tournament in one and a half years so that is the reason every bout was limited to a maximum of six rounds.
“We didn’t want to overdo it or punish the boxers but even the six rounds, they count the same as eight or ten rounds.
“In boxing it’s a matter of have you won the fight or have you lost it which counts not the number of rounds you play. The official rounds in professional boxing is four to 12 rounds.
“So really any rounds one plays and win it’s still considered a win in the Boxrec.
“At the end of the day the six rounds were meant to afford all the boxers an equal chance considering that they have been out of the ring for along time.”
Mau-Mau is expected to host the national championships next.
“Next time I am sure that the boxers will be ready for the national championships.
“We are already planning at hosting the national championships. So most, rather all of the national championship titles are at stake and I believe this event has prepared some of the boxers for the event.
“The next tournament which we are going to host is dubbed the championship night.
“That’s by any standards an incredible feat that we can assure you we will attain.
“It is about the determination and will power behind it, the hard work and the sacrifice that we know we are going to achieve our goals.”
Online Reporter