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Sports Reporter
FORMER national super-middleweight and light-heavyweight boxing champion Sipho “Sweet Zuggi” Moyo died in South Africa last week and is set to be buried in Nkayi on Friday.

Moyo, 56, died last Friday at a Johannesburg hospital where he had been admitted after collapsing a fortnight earlier.

“He was fine all along and was only admitted to hospital two weeks ago after collapsing. From what we gather from people in South Africa, my brother had a stroke and didn’t recover. His body is coming home tomorrow and he’ll be buried KoMajoyi in Nkayi,” said family spokesperson Sikhumbuzo Moyo.

The former champion turned professional in 1992 and went on to have an illustrious professional boxing career.

Moyo won 22 out of 30 professional fights; 18 of which were knockouts. He lost eight bouts.

Among those to beat Moyo were Arigoma Chiponda and Henry Wharton in a Commonwealth super-middleweight title fight in 1994, Gibson Mapfumo, Tanzania’s Joseph Marwa and Francis Zulu.

Moyo’s knockout wins were against Albert Tomirepi, Gibson Mapfumo, Hastings Rasani, Bigboy Tshuma, Tiger Wilson and Eric Sauti, among others.

Renowned trainer Philip “Striker” Ndlovu spoke highly of Moyo, describing him as an entertaining pugilist.

“As boxing fraternity, we’ve lost a real boxing hero; someone who loved the sport and was a real entertaining machine. I started training him in 1982 at Makokoba’s Tshaka Youth Centre when he was an amateur until he turned professional in 1992 and went on to retire in 2004. At one time, he held the national titles for the super-middleweight and light-heavyweight division. He once travelled to London for a Commonwealth belt fight in 1994, but lost to Wharton, who knocked him out in the first round. It was his first fight outside Zimbabwe and on his return, he gave most of his opponents torrid times,” said Ndlovu.

Moyo is survived by wife Siphiwe and four children, Cynthia, Mkhululi, Thandekile and Makhosi.

Mourners are gathered at Q55, Mzilikazi.