Bulawayo boxing on revival path

Sport
COULD the recent launch of Big Fish Boxing Promotions spell the return of glory for professional boxers in the country?

COULD the recent launch of Big Fish Boxing Promotions spell the return of glory for professional boxers in the country?

Sports Reporter

This is the question that came to mind to the boxing fraternity during the launch of the stable by former Zimbabwe light and middleweight boxing champion Modicai Donga at a city hotel on Wednesday evening.

Southern Eye Sport spoke to several boxers on Thursday who said they were fully behind the stable saying they hoped what was said during the launch can be implemented and maybe in future the country would start producing champions. It is a stable that seeks to promote boxers from Zimbabwe and bring boxers from other countries to trade leather with local pugilists.

In the past, Stoddard Hall, Manor Hotel, Reynolds Inn and the Bulawayo Polytechnic, used to hold boxing tournaments with stables like Rampage Ring Promotions and Blow by Blow very consistent in organising fights while Stalin Mau Mau a boxing enthusiast and the late Jeff Dube were men who had boxing at heart.

The late Proud “Kilimanjaro” Chinembiri, Langton “Schoolboy” Tinago, Donga, Ambrose Mlilo and Alfonso Zvenyika are some of the boxers who flew the country’s flag high in the past. However, with the difficult economic situation Zimbabwe has gone through in the past years, this not only affected industries and companies but the sport.

There has been no sponsorship as corporates and individuals cannot part with their hard-earned monies to pour into the sport because of the cash crunch. The state of the economy heavily affected the sport as the number of professional fights continued to dwindle.

Boxers have been yearning for the return of the past as they seek to pursue the sport they love. With Donga the former champion launching the stable there is hope that it could revive the glory days and popularity of the sport in the country. Donga, a practising lawyer, still has passion for the sport judging by what he said during the launch.

“Modicai Donga Big Fish Boxing Promotion was involved in a number of promotions and sending boxers outside the country. We have sent quite a number of boxers to fight in Namibia — not only to fight for international fights, but international title fights like inter-continental titles fights. World Boxing Union Organisation Intercontinental titles and Global Boxing Union title fights.

Unfortunately during those years we could not manage to wrestle any of the titles and bring them home. But we feel as Big Fish we have a team of young, brilliant and zealous men who are not only trying to make a name for themselves, but for the sport and make the country proud. We want to try and develop individuals who decide to take up the sport of boxing,” he said.

With Bulawayo having last had a professional boxing tournament at the Large City Hall in June 2011, Donga said they were aiming to have their first international bout in May.

“As Big Fish, we feel that we have got quite a number of fights lined up. Beginning sometime this year, by the end of May we would have staged our first international bout here in Zimbabwe. It might be Bulawayo or Harare but it will be in Zimbabwe. Why Zimbabwe?

“Why any other country? Why not Bulawayo where Big Fish is being launched? Big Fish is not only limited to Bulawayo.

“It is a stable which wishes to promote boxers from Zimbabwe and also bring boxers from countries like South Africa, Namibia and even America to come and fight in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Donga said they were inspired by boxers like Derrick Chisora, Charles Manyuchi and with a home-grown stable, the country could produce champions who will bring titles to Zimbabwe.