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Charles Manyuchi

Harare Bureau
WITH just over a month to go before Charles Manyuchi’s World Boxing Council voluntary title defence fight at home, his manager at Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions, Chris Malunga, has said they are on track with their preparations.

The match is set for September 30 at the Harare International Conference Centre.

Manyuchi, who is currently in Zambia for his training, is expected to take on Frenchman Damien Martin but before that he has a warm-up match this month.

Speaking to our Harare Bureau from Zambia yesterday, Malunga said they are stepping up their preparations with an international welterweight non-title fight on August 27.

It will be an eight rounds fight with Manyuchi facing Tanzania’s Deogratias Samwel.

Samwel has won 9 of his 20 matches, drawn six and lost five.

“The preparations are moving on very well. The August 27 fight is just a warm-up fight for him in readiness for the fight in Zimbabwe on 30 September.

“It’s just a warm-up match to keep him in shape. He is doing very well and he is ready for the fight.

“Immediately after that fight we will come to Zimbabwe to start marketing that fight (on September 30).

“He is dropping the weight because of the training we are going through and I don’t see any problem.

“When he was in Zimbabwe he was doing some light training and he has been here for sometime. So he is doing well,” said Malunga.

Manyuchi’s voluntary title defence bout will be the highlight of several other WBC and African Boxing Union matches lined up next month.

Malunga said they are hoping for the boxers to compete in Harare to be in Zimbabwe two weeks before the fights.

“He (Manyuchi) has to remain (in Zambia) because his base is in Zambia. That is where his coaches and managers are, until maybe two weeks to go all boxers will then come to Zimbabwe.

“They will be camped in Zimbabwe,” Malunga said.

Other Zimbabwean fighters that will be on the roster come September 30 are Anyway Katunga, who will take on Alfred Muwowo of Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions in a non-title flyweight fight.

Barbra Banda clashes with Zimbabwe’s Kudakwashe Chiwandire in another non-title flyweight bout while Gibon Kamota from Oriental Quarries takes on Tinashe Mwadziwana in a non-title bantamweight match.

The ABU match is between Oriental Quarries’ Mbiya Nkanku and Mohammed Lassoued from Tunisia in a super welterweight bout.