WBF question Manyuchi fight

Augustine Hwata Sports Reporter
THE World Boxing Federation have distanced themselves from the proposed title fight featuring Zimbabwe and African champion Charles Manyuchi in Uganda next month. There are fears that bogus promoters could be targeting the Zimbabwean stable, which controls Manyuchi, by organising a non-event disguised as a WBF world title fight.

Local boxing promoter Eddison Zvobgo (junior) announced at the weekend that they have slotted a WBF title fight for February 22 in Kampala while the other fight in Morocco is yet to be finalised.

But Zimbabwe Boxing Control Board secretary-general Gilbert Munetsi says WBF president Howard Golberg has advised them against giving the fight a greenlight.

In a letter to the Zimbabwe Boxing Board, Goldberg distanced his federation from the people who are organising the bout for African champion Manyuchi.

“I’m told that a fighter of yours, Charles Manyuchi, is fighting in Uganda for a World Boxing Federation title.
“This is not true. There is a fraudulent group called the World Boxing Forum (no-one recognises them) but they are trying to con people by using our letters WBF.

“So I am just informing you so that you are aware of these crooks,” read part of a letter by Goldberg to ZBCB.
Munetsi fears there could be bogus promoters trying to pounce on the Zimbabweans.

The ZBCB spokesman said compilation of local ratings will be their next priority once they finish registering the boxers in the first quarter of this year.

At the moment, boxing records are in a shambles with some fighters, who are either dead or retired, still appearing as champions in some divisions.

Munetsi yesterday said they will start rating the fighters once they have finished registering the boxers and their promoters.
“All the boxing records in Zimbabwe are in a shambles at the moment and we need to work on updating the records once again.

“The records were last updated a long time ago and, since we came into office last year, our main objective had been to restore order in the sport and this is what we are doing by ensuring that stakeholders are registered properly,” said Munetsi. The Paul Nenjarama-led board was ushered into office last year and registered 26 boxers while a handful of managers, promoters and referees were also registered.

“We asked the stakeholders to pay half the registration fees since it was halfway into the year but they have to renew their licences annually and the earlier the better.

“So no Zimbabwean boxer will be cleared to go and fight any local or international bouts if he or she is not registered with the board.
“For registration, we require that they bring their medicals, applications fees and passport size photos,” said Munetsi.

Once boxers have been registered, Munetsi said his board will be able to determine the vacant national titles and their top contenders in each division. “After restoring sanity, we can now identify who is doing what from the records. At the moment some people listed as champions have long retired or could be dead.

“We will not mind even if one person register for a division, he will be rated accordingly, and it is happening in other countries,” said Munetsi.