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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
SOUTH Africa-based World Boxing Federation African heavyweight champion Elvis “Bulawayo Bomber” Moyo believes he is better positioned to facilitate Zimbabwean boxers’ fights in that country.

Moyo, who was last year banned from boxing in South Africa due to his involvement in the Extreme Fighting Championships (EFC) Africa mixed martial arts (cage fights), said he has created links in South Africa’s boxing circles that he wants to use to promote upcoming pugilists.

He said the idea to organise bills for Zimbabwean pugilists came after noticing that there were few boxers that had opportunities to land professional fights.

“Talent is abundant in Zimbabwe. I can authoritatively say so because there are a number of boys that I saw during my boxing days who have potential to do better. It’s unfortunate that because of lack of professional fights due to lack of sponsorship or the right contacts, some fine, talented boxers have been forced to quit the sport. I want to help out; I know almost every promoter in South Africa and I think the contacts will be useless if I don’t give Zimbabwean boxers a chance that I never had,” said Moyo.

The former Tshaka Youth Centre heavyweight boxer, who used to spar with Zimbabwe’s number one Thamsanqa “The Tanker” Dube, said he is going into management, grooming and promotion of boxers.

He said he would soon be engaging the Zimbabwe National Boxing Board of Control to appoint him as their South African-based agent.

“Even as a cage-fighter, I still have the best knowledge in the South African boxing scene. The first step is to get the Zimbabwean boxing board’s buy-in. If they approve, I can be their agent and if they don’t, I’ll have to get in touch with boxing managers or stables so that they give me the divisions’ records for their fighters and we link them up,” said Moyo.

Some of boxers who showed lots of potential, dominating at the annual Zimbabwe National Youth Games that have disappeared into oblivion, include Meluleki Ngulube and Ntando Moyo.

Dube has struggled to find backers for his fight against 22-year-old Trevor Mpofu since the beginning of the year.

Dube and Mpofu are now keeping their fingers crossed that a Malawi organised bout set for October 31 in Lilongwe succeeds.

They will join four other Zimbabwean boxers, Nicola Mutonora, Tinashe Madzivana, Diana Makumbe and Kudakwashe Chivandire, who will trade leather in supporting title bouts that will be screened live on satellite television station SuperSport from the Lilongwe International Conventional Centre.